


Against All Odds

by maz4pj (myfoolisheart)



Category: Dawson's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Character Death, F/M, Future Fic, Kid Fic, Pacey Witter/Andie McPhee (secondary), The death isn't Pacey or Joey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:48:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29291652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myfoolisheart/pseuds/maz4pj
Summary: Pacey and Joey are inseparable best friends in college, but when the new girl Andie shows up, it forces both of the friends to face their true feelings. Choices are made that change their lives forever, but now, ten years in the future a special little girl is going to make things right again.
Relationships: Joey Potter/Pacey Witter
Kudos: 10





	Against All Odds

**Author's Note:**

> If you are south asian you will recognise that this fic is basically an AU of a popular bollywood movie. I stuck pretty close to the movie plot, so not trying to claim it as original. This fic was written in 2001 so is just being moved to AO3.

**Prologue**

Pacey stood by and watched as the coffin was lowered into the ground. His face still, not showing his emotions. The only sign of his grief was the single tear he hadn't had the energy to wipe from his face. He looked at the headstone. _Andrea Witter 1983 - 2005 Beloved Wife and Mother._ He read, the memory of her playing over and over in his mind.

"Will you be my friend?" her words from so long ago playing over in his mind. He saw her, the first day they met. The first day they kissed. Their wedding day. Andie 6 months pregnant. The day he had been handed their child.

"Mr Witter you can't go in there, you must wait here," the nurse pushed past Pacey.

"What's going on? She was fine. The baby was fine." Pacey insisted stopping the doctor. His heart was racing and his hands were clenched into fists to resist the urge to punch something.

"Your wife is having severe difficulties. You have to wait here," the nurse said sternly before rushing off into the operating room.

Pacey walked up and down the narrow corridor, outside the operating room. What was taking so long? He was so happy; it had just been an hour since their yet unnamed baby girl was born. And now everything was going horribly wrong. They had known this could happen, knew there could be problems. But Andie was so damn stubborn. She wanted this child so badly.

Doug put a hand on his little brother's shoulder, trying to calm him but Pacey just jerked it away.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Why did this have to happen?" Pacey asked Doug, knowing he couldn't answer the questions.

"She'll be fine Pacey, don't worry." Doug hoped for his brother sake that his words were true.

A few hours later the doctor came out of the operating room.

"I'm sorry Pacey." The doctor's tone was apologetic. "Andie suffered from severe difficulties. We tried our best, but the internal bleeding was too bad. She doesn't have long left," she informed him. Pacey sat there taking it all in, tears in his eyes, not falling. "She knew that there would be problems with her delivery but she also knew how much you wanted this child. And I think giving you this baby was more important to her than her own life." Pacey nodded understanding; Andie was so stubborn sometimes.

"Can I…?" Pacey began, not being able to get the words out.

"Yes. Just try to keep her calm and don't let her talk too much," the doctor advised. Pacey nodded and followed the doctor into Andie's room, leaving Doug behind.

When he walked into the room Andie looked up, her eyes bright, struggling with a smile through her tears. He walked up to her bed and sat down on the edge, looking down, crying.

"You're evil you know that." Pacey said whispering. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Pacey?" He just cried more not looking at her. She had to keep wiping her own tears that silently fell away, trying to stay strong. "Pacey?" Nothing. "Will you be my friend?" she asked holding up her hand, which had a pink friendship band on it. "Promise me something Pacey? Promise me you won't cry," Andie said, crying herself. He nodded sadly.

"Anyway, you look like a big baby when you cry," she said. He smiled for her, but his heart wasn't in it. His heart was hurting too much.

"Promise me another thing Pacey. Name my daughter Joey?" Andie said almost urgently. Pacey was surprised. He hadn't heard that name in a long time. He searched Andie's eyes to see what she was thinking but she just smiled back at him.

"We've got plenty of time to think of names Andie, you just get better first," Pacey said kissing her forehead.

"No," Andie said urgently. "Promise me you'll name her Joey."

Pacey tried not to think about the fact that she wanted _him_ to name her Joey and not them to name her Joey. This was already feeling too much like a goodbye.

"I promise McPhee," he said, not wanting to upset her.

"Thank you," Andie felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "I wanted you to have this baby Pacey, I wanted you to have our baby," Andie said crying.

"I know Andie. And we did. We'll raise her together." Tears stained Andie's face. They just sat together for a couple of minutes.

"I'm sorry Andie, I'm so sorry I couldn't save you," he said crying in her arms.

"Sssh," she said stroking his hair, trying not to lose it and start crying herself. After a few minutes she spoke up.

"Can I see Doug?" Andie asked suddenly.

"Why would you want to see my gay brother?" Pacey attempted a joke.

"I would think the fact that he's married might make you stop with the gay jokes," Andie said shaking her head.

"Never, I just think that's a huge cover up," Pacey grinned half-heartedly, trying to lighten the sad mood. "I'll go get him," Pacey said, getting up and kissing her on the forehead before heading to the door. Her voice stopped him.

"Pacey?" her voice was caught in her throat and tears threatened to fall. "I love you."

Pacey's heart sank at the finality in her voice and for some reason he knew she was saying goodbye.

"I love you too McPhee," Pacey said watching her smile.

"No." she said.

"No?" he repeated confused.

"I'm a Witter remember?" Andie joked, smiling at him.

"I could never forget," Pacey said sincerely, and then he left.

-&-

"I want you to give these to her," Andie looked down at her baby who lay in her arms, handing Doug eight envelopes.

"Andie what's this?" Doug asked confused.

"I want my child to know me Doug. I want her to know who her mother was, and what she was like. So when someone asks her about her mom, she can answer the questions herself. There's a letter for every birthday up to her eighth. I want my child to know all the things I wanted to tell her, everything I won't be able to tell her in person." Andie said silently crying.

"Andie you can tell her, you're going to be fine," Doug assured her, even though he knew it was a lie.

"Doug I'm not going to make it. I knew there would be problems Doug. But I wanted Pacey to have this child so badly. He wanted this child so badly." she said, trying to get him to accept the fact. "I need you to do this for me, I can't give these to Pacey. He won't accept it. Just promise me you'll do this for me okay?" Andie pleaded.

"Okay, I promise," he said, watching his sister-in-law lying there; accepting her fate, knowing it was going to kill his brother.

"One more thing," Andie said. "Take…take care of Pacey for me. Don't let him break, he has to stay strong for her sake and his." She began crying. She kissed her baby one last time before handing her over to Doug.

Suddenly Andie's breathing became abnormal and machines started beeping. It was as if Andie was just hanging on for her last few wishes to be fulfilled.

Doug moved out of the room as all the doctors ran in and gathered at Andie's bed.

"What's going on Doug?" Pacey demanded, rushing up to the room. But Doug didn't know what to say. He motioned to the letters in his hand.

And then they both looked up as the beeping stopped and the doctors moved away from Andie. The doctor looked into Pacey's eyes and he knew.

-&-

Pacey stood frozen as the priest talked about Andie. She was gone now, but she left him one special gift…their baby girl Josephine. A name he hadn't thought about in ages, but obviously Andie had. And now he knew he wouldn't be able to forget it anymore.

-&\- -&\- -&-

**Part One "The Last Letter"**

Josephine Witter paced up and down the large space of her lounge. The young girl looked unhappy, if not down right irritated. While pacing she paused to check her watch for the fourth time in the last 10 minutes. Oh yeah she was irritated.

She was a very good looking child, her fair skin and beautiful smile just added to her already innocent looking face. Her sparkly brown eyes stood out and you could tell her shoulder length brown hair was silky soft. She was dressed in the most non-girly looking dress she could find, she hated dressing up all "girly."

Suddenly her face lit up as she heard the door opening, she stopped pacing and looked towards the door. Remembering her anger, she quickly folded her arms over her chest, and scowled at the figure coming through the door.

Pacey Witter looked down at his daughter apologetically. Her glare quickly turned towards the floor refusing to look at him. He continued to look down at her as he held out some flowers hoping for forgiveness. She turned away from him, rejecting his gift. He then held out chocolates, hoping that would get her to talk, but once again she rejected his peace offering. He then held out a cuddly toy, which she grudgingly took without even looking at him.

Finally she caves and looks up at him. She can't help but laugh at the funny clown's hat he was wearing. Pacey made funny faces, trying to get her to smile more. It works.

"Come on Joey, I'm only…" he checks his watch, "two hours late." He admitted sheepishly.

"Right!" she crosses her arms again and scowls.

"Okay, honey, I'm sorry, but I was really busy,"

"I'm busy too dad. You know, I wasn't even able to watch TV today. Why? Because I had to meet you. Why? To do _your_ clothes shopping!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. How about we go now and I'll buy you something extra special to make it up to you?" Jo's face lit up and she quickly hugged her dad.

"Promise?" she asked, pulling away slightly looking him in the eyes.

"Promise!"

-&-

Jo stood in front of the wall in her room, looking up at the picture of her mum, along with the 7 envelopes that were tacked up next to the it.

"It's not fair you know," she said, speaking to the picture of her mom. "I wish my birthday was today. Uncle Doug won't give me your letter until tomorrow," her voice was pouty, but very comfortable. Talking to her mom was a normal occurrence for her. It comforted her.

"Anyway, mom, I wish you were here. You know that girl, Rachel in my class? She keeps teasing me, just because she's so pretty and everyone likes her. I wish I was pretty like you…" she said as she touched Andie's face softly.

"Brian is really nice to me though, he takes care of me. He's my best friend." She got so caught up in talking to Andie she didn't notice someone standing at her door.

Doug just stood there and watched silently as his niece spoke with the mom she'd never have. He couldn't help but get a little choked up at the site; a sad tear fell from his eyes. He loved that girl so much, but she needed a mom. Someone who could talk back to her.

After she finished talking she realized someone was there and turned around. She grinned when she saw her uncle.

"Uncle Doug!" she screamed, running and hugging her uncle.

"Hey, how's my favourite niece?" Doug picked her up and swung her around before putting her down again.

"Your only niece!" she rolled her eyes. "And she's doing great! What are you doing here?" she asked, leading him into the sitting room.

"Just came to see my favourite little girl!" Jo smiled. Doug sat down and she stood on the couch behind him, wrapping her arms around him sweetly, he just smiled knowingly.

"Uncle Doug?" her voice was especially sugarcoated.

"Yes." Doug patted her arm, which was around him lightly.

"Can I have the letter please?" she tried.

"When's your birthday?" Doug asked, knowing the answer. Jo looked downfallen.

"Tomorrow" she admitted.

"So…"

"Oh ok, I'll wait…" Giving her uncle puppy dog eyes in one last attempt.

"Go," Doug instructed, laughing at her attempt to get the letter early. She ran out of the room to find her dad.

Pacey walked inside the room and grinned at his brother.

"Miss me already dear brother?" Pacey grinned.

"Not likely," Doug said, disgusted, but his eyes gave away his sarcasm. "I just came by to see Joey actually."

"I have no idea why, but that daughter of mine seems to like you!" Pacey said, laughing.

"Well, maybe because _she_ knows how to appreciate the divas," They walked into the back of the house and Pacey picked up his basketball and began shooting into his indoor hoop.

"I don't think so Dougie, she comes home from your place complaining about the torture you put her though," Pacey laughed lightly. "I think it has more to do with the fact that you're the only relative she has." He stopped playing for a second and looked at Doug. "So what's up anyway?"

"Well…" Doug began, grinning to himself. "I ran into an old friend of mine yesterday and she had some very interesting things to say."

"Oh yeah, what did she have to say?" Pacey said, rolling his eyes, knowing exactly where this was heading.

"She seems to think that all men are idiots and that she's never going to find the right guy." Doug finished.

"So?"

"So?" Doug repeated frustrated. "So, I thought it would be nice if she had someone to restore her faith in men."

"Why don't you date her then?" Pacey joked, avoiding the real pain of the topic. He concentrated on sinking the ball into the hoop, ignoring Doug's serious eyes.

"You don't think Tina would mind?" Doug smiled thinking of his wife. "Anyway, she's not my type,"

"Not your type or not your sex?" Pacey grinned at Doug before sinking another ball.

"I find your constant insisting that I'm gay, despite the fact that I've been happily married for over 9 years is highly disturbing. Are you sure you're not hiding something?" Doug looked at Pacey suspiciously, before smiling.

"Haha, nice turn around Dougie."

"I don't know why I bother Pacey," Doug returned to his serious tone. "Why do I introduce you to dozens of gorgeous, not to mention intelligent women? Why do I try to find some happiness for my younger brother, despite his obvious need to be miserable? Why do I…?"

"Doug!" Pacey broke in, noticing Doug's seriously worried expression. "What's the matter Doug?" Pacey asked, noticing a difference in his brother's behaviour.

"I don't know Pacey. This house just feels so empty. You seem so alone Pacey, and I don't want you to end up alone, and I know Andie wouldn't want you to be alone either." Pacey looked saddened and he shook his head. "Don't you think it's time you started dating again?"

"I'm fine Doug," Pacey insisted.

"What about Joey?"

"What about her?" Pacey asked, confused.

"Don't you think she needs a mother? A young girl needs a mother in her life Pacey," Doug said, trying to make his brother listen.

"She's okay Doug," Pacey tried to convince Doug, or maybe he was trying to convince himself. "She's fine, because she has something even I don't have?" Pacey thought about Andie and Jo for a second. "She has Andie's letters." He looked away and sunk another basket.

-&-

The ringing coming from the many clocks Jo had strewn around her room striking twelve, woke the now 8-year-old girl up.

"Happy Birthday Joey!" she said to herself, jumping out of bed and running downstairs excitedly.

There were loads of presents set on the table. Unusually she pushes them all aside, looking for only one thing. Her face lit up as she spotted the small white envelope with a huge 8 on it.

She took the envelope and quickly opened it. She began reading, letting her mom's words wash over her.

"My dear sweet Joey, Happy Birthday!" Andie wrote. "Today you are 8 years old and I can just picture you. I'm sure you're just like your dad, those same eyes, that same smile, isn't it?"

"No, I'm like you!" Jo said in a pouty voice, before continuing.

"Tell me Jo, does your dad still sleep with his socks on?" Jo nodded, smiling to herself. "When is that habit of his going to go?" Jo laughed, feeling so good to hear her mom's words. She could almost hear her voice, talking to her.

"You're a big girl today Joey, so the thing I'm about to tell you, you'll be able to really understand." Joey smiled.

"Today I'm going to tell you a story. In this story, there's me, your dad and…Joey." Jo looked up confused.

"Joey?" she said to herself confused...

-&\- -&\- -&-

**Part Two "Once Upon a Time..."  
**

Josephine Potter smiled as she strolled down the corridors of Boston University. Her face was shining and her hair was up in a high pony, a few loose strands falling around her face. She wore trainers, athletic pants and a small t-shirt.

"What are you so happy about?" Sarah, one of her college friends, asked her.

"I'm going to meet Pacey in the gym." She said smiling smugly. "He doesn't think me beating him in basketball everyday is enough. He just keeps coming back for more." Joey laughed lightly.

"Yeah well, go easy on the boy, will ya."

"Of course," Joey's voice was sweet. She waved goodbye to Sarah and headed to the gym to meet Pacey.

-&-

Pacey Witter, dressed in his usual laid-back attire, ran through the BU campus towards the gym. He was running late and he knew Joey would be pissed. He was running so fast he nearly ran past the gym door. He skidded and slowed himself. Joey, who had been bouncing the ball in the gym, stood still and put her hands on her hips.

"Late again!" She said, shaking her head at him.

"You know how hard it is for me to wake up this early." Pacey said nonchalantly, approaching her.

"Woke up late? Or got scared?" She mocked.

"Hey, Pacey Witter's not scared of anyone." Joey rolled her eyes. Pacey took the ball off Joey and bounced it lightly, warming himself up. He started to take a shot, but the site of Joey pulling her long brown hair into a ponytail distracted him and he missed the hoop. She laughed loudly.

"If you're going to be playing like that, Witter, I may as well declare myself the winner right now!" She said, picking up the ball and walking towards him.

"You distracted me." Pacey replied angrily. He definitely shouldn't have looked at her in that way. He never thought of Joey that way.

"How?" She challenged. He ignored her question, not wanting to answer.

"Don't worry, I'm gonna beat you today, I have a good feeling about it."

"You say that everyday."

"Well today's my lucky day." He took his place and Joey just smiled.

"We'll see."

"We _will_ see."

They began playing and Joey quite easily sank two baskets. Pacey received the ball from her point, and avoided Joey's smug look. She easily got the ball out of his hand and sunk another basket.

At the end of the game Joey stood there with her hands on her hips, gloating.

"Four to zero Pacey!" She shook her head. "Have I taught you nothing?" She asked in mock disgust.

"Okay, Okay, Josephine, you are the queen of the game!" He said bowing down to her jokingly. Joey swatted him in the side.

"How many times have I told you not to call me Josephine?"

"I've lost count honey." He said, putting his arm around her playfully.

"Uggh, don't call me honey!" She pushed him lightly, laughing.

"So _Joey_ , I guess I'll see you tonight." They walked out of the gym and down the corridor together.

"Where you going now?" She asked confused.

" _I_ have a lunch date!" He said smugly.

"Oh please." Joey said disgusted. "Which bimbo is it now? I swear Pacey, you find the most stupid people to date. Who is it now? Cindy? Mindy? Or whatever the latest bimbo name is!" Pacey just grinned.

"It's Muffy!" Joey burst out laughing. "What!" He asked defensively. "She's really interesting."

"I bet she is!" She said skeptically, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sorry Jo, but there's just no one who I've found particularly appealing." She just gave him a disbelieving look.

"Okay well, not intellectually appealing." Pacey admitted. "I know you're just on my case 'cause you're jealous."

"Jealous, over you?" she answered incredulously. "I wouldn't waste my energy."

"Yeah just keep telling yourself that Jo!" He put his arm around her lightly again but this time she didn't push him away. She laughed with him.

-&-

Joey fell onto her bed, exhausted from her busy day of lessons. Wednesdays were her fullest days, and she just loved to come back to her dorm and relax. She took out the hair band that held her hair up, and loosened herself up.

She laughed to herself remembering her basketball match with Pacey. That poor boy just kept coming back for more. She remembered the first day she met Pacey at BU. She walked into the gym, wanting to unwind by shooting a few hoops. He was there already, and said in a rather condescending tone that he would teach her how to play. She showed him that day that she could play just fine, and she'd been doing it everyday since.

It was funny how they had become fast friends. After Pacey realized Joey wasn't like most girls and there was no way he was getting in her pants for a quickie, he had come to confide in her. Once she realized that after you get through that ego, and the arrogant humor, there's actually a pretty decent guy underneath, she had spent most days in her two years at BU with him.

They fought constantly. He annoyed the hell out of her; she pissed him off to no end. But when it came down to it, they had come to rely on each other.

_Oh My God, I'm having a warm and fuzzy feeling for Pacey. I really need my head examined!_

Before she had time to start analyzing her feelings, Joey's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. She got up to answer it, hoping Pacey wasn't here to annoy her as usual, but she also knew in the back of her mind, she kind of hoped he was.

"Joey!" Sarah Richards smiled at her classmate.

"Hey Sarah," Joey moved away from the door, allowing Sarah to come inside. Sarah was one of Joey's close friends. She had met her in her Psych class this year, and they sat together all the time.

"Ready to share your room?" Sarah asked. Joey had had a single room for most of the time. Now a new student was transferring late in the year and they needed her to share.

"Yeah. It's going to be weird sharing but it'll be good to have someone around." She answered.

"Cool, What's her name?" They walked inside and settled on the couch in the common room.

"Andie, I think. She's due here tomorrow morning." Joey said. "I'm kind a nervous. I hope she's nice. I don't want to end up with a psycho roommate from hell!" Sarah laughed.

"It's just like you to think of something like that. She's going to come and kill you in your sleep." Sarah mocked.

"Hey, it could happen!" Joey said, laughing.

"You've been hanging around Pacey way too long." She said looking around. "Speaking of which, where is he?"

"On a date. He said he'd come by to annoy me later though." She rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure he will!"

"I know, that's the problem. Pacey always sticks to his promises." Sarah just laughed. "What?"

"You two are just funny. You fight and bicker and yet you are the closest friends I've ever come across. If I didn't know any better I'd swear you two have a thing going."

"Me and Pacey?" Joey asked, disbelief written all over her face. "Yeah right. He's just my best friend. That's all."

"You never know when _best_ friend becomes _boy_ friend." Sarah teased.

"Not going to happen." Joey said sternly. "I just hope my roommate is prepared for him, because I don't think her presence will stop him from bugging me. Maybe she'll despise him and he won't come over every day!" Joey joked.

"In your dreams."

-&-

Joey walked down the corridor searching for Pacey. He usually came by before their morning class, but he didn't show this morning. And to top it off, her new roommate hadn't showed either! She smiled knowingly when she spotted him. She should've known. He was standing by some bleached blonde, who was giggling idiotically. She strode up to them and had to suppress her laughter as she heard Pacey's words.

"…You know, you're the only girl I've given one of these friendship bands to." Pacey said, holding out a wristband. They had been selling them all over college to raise money for charity and Pacey had a bought a bunch of them to use on various girls. The girl giggled some more.

"Really?" her voice was hopeful.

"Of course, you are the only one for me,"

"You are such a sweet talker." She said, in a high-pitched voice that made Joey gag.

"Oh Stacy!" he said, hugging her closely.

"My name's Tracy!" The girl said pulling back angrily.

"Yeah of course, you see, I got so lost in your eyes I even forgot your name." Joey nearly gagged at Tracy's gullibility. She actually bought that line! Joey slowly pulled the bunch of friendship bands out of Pacey's back pocket.

"Uh, Pacey," she tapped on Pacey's shoulder lightly. He turned to look at her. "They fell," she smirked, gesturing to the bands in her hand.

"You lair! You cheat! I can't believe you!" Tracy said angrily before storming off. Joey was barely retaining her laughter as Pacey tried to call Tracy back.

"Uh. . .uh Stacy. . . Macy, uh. . ." Pacey called desperately.

"It's Tracy!" Joey helped leaning on Pacey's shoulder laughing. He just scowled at her.

"Thanks a lot Potter, that was my hot prospect for tonight! What a waste of half an hour. " He said annoyed.

"Yeah well, that'll teach you to ditch me for some beached blonde ho-bag!" Pacey grinned.

"I knew you were jealous." He dismissed Joey's stunt easily and fell into step with her. She just snorted.

"Don't you get tired chasing these stupid girls?"

"Hey, I don't chase girls, they…" Joey rolled her eyes.

"They chase you…Yeah, yeah I know! When will the day come that you'll introduce me to someone you're with, who has beauty as well as a little bit of intelligence!"

"Someone who's beautiful and intelligent? Where am I going to find someone like that?" He said smirking. "Anyway I'm just passing my time with these girls because I haven't found her yet."

"Her?" Joey said, confused.

"Her." Pacey agreed. "I told you, it's not that easy. You don't fall in love all the time Jo, and when you do, you just know she's the one."

"How do you know?" Joey asked curiously.

"You just do."

"How do you just _know_?" She was seriously interested now.

"Something happens and you feel it, you won't understand." The seriousness in Pacey's voice made Joey smile.

"When she walks everyone stops and stares…" He said as they walked down the corridor. He had a far away look in his eyes, and Joey was sure she saw something different in them.

"When she stops, the whole world stops around her..."

"And when she laughs…"

"Her, her, her." Joey said in an exaggerated tone. "So what will you do when you find _her_?" She asked somewhat jokingly.

"What am I going to do?" His voice was serious as he stopped and turned to face her.

"Yeah!"

"I'll open my arms and bow down in front of her and say…" He did what he was describing, walking backwards in front of Joey. "Hey you, whoever you are…I love you!" And with those words he turned and ran straight into the blonde coming round the corner. He moved away and the world around him seemed to slow down. She may have been blonde, but she didn't look anything like a bimbo. She looked smart and beautiful and intelligent.

"I love you?" Was all that came to his lips.

"Sorry?" The girl said, confused.

"Don't be. I love you." Pacey said, regaining his ground, and his attitude.

"Excuse me." The girl rolled her eyes and began walking away. Joey spotted piece of paper the girl dropped and picked it up. It read Andie McPhee.

"Andie!" The girl stopped and Joey ran up to her, Pacey following shortly behind. She handed the paper back to the girl. "Hi, I'm Joey and you're..." Pacey interrupted coming up to the girls and shaking Andie's hand.

"Hi I'm Pacey."

"Hi," Andie turned back to Joey.

"Andie right?" Joey asked.

"Yeah," She smiled brightly at the girl.

"How do you know?" Pacey asked Joey.

"Because I was waiting for my new roommate and here she is." Joey explained.

"You must be Josephine Potter then?" Andie smiled brightly at Joey.

"Yeah, but you can call me Joey, everyone does."

"And I'm Pacey Witter and today's your lucky day."

"Why is that?" She asked smirking.

"Because I'm the one you've been looking for all your life, and now you've found me." Pacey said confidently. Joey was snickering behind him and Andie rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry, where did you get that line from? A 12 year olds guide to dating?" Andie said seriously, although she was smirking inside. The bell rang for class. Andie turns to leave but Pacey stops her.

"Excuse me."

"Yeah?" she asks, turning around.

"Friends?" Pacey asks, holding out one of the friendship bands he had.

"We only just met." She states smiling. "Friendship's a long way away." She smiles at Joey before leaving. "See you around Joey,"

"Bye," Joey said. She watched Pacey as he stared at Andie's retreating form in awe. "So something happen?" Joey asked, referring back to their earlier conversation.

"Nah." Pacey said brushing her off.

"What? Why?"

"She's not my type." Pacey said.

" _She's not my type_ ," Joey mocked. "You're never going to find anyone like that." Joey said heading towards class.

"Why?" Pacey grinned, turning his attention back to his best friend. "I've always got you. If I don't find anyone I'll just marry you." He called after her, running to catch up.

"Uggggh never. No way. Not happening. In your dreams." Her voice was disgusted.

"It'll be just like _My Best Friends Wedding_ , except you know, this time I'll take pity on you and marry you." Pacey continued over Joey's protests. "It's not like anyone's going to marry you anyway Josephine."

"Come back to reality Witter, we're going to be late for class." Joey took his arm and pulled him towards class, smiling at his craziness.

-&\- -&\- -&-

**Part Three "I Have A Feeling"**

"Andie!" Joey Potter called to her roommate. Andie stopped and turned, waiting for Joey to catch up with her.

"Hey Joey, what's up?" Andie smiled warmly at Joey.

"Nothing really. I just wanted to see how you were doing. How have all your classes been this week?" Joey asked, as they walked down the corridor.

"They've been great! I'm really getting into the work." Joey watched as Andie's face shone, as she spoke about school. "Well I mean school's school, if you know what I mean." Andie said, trying to tone down her excitement. "I'm glad we have a few classes together."

"Yeah, I know I've been kind of busy lately so I haven't had time to really talk to you properly."

"That's ok." Andie said smiling back at her.

"No, I feel really bad, ditching you like that."

"You didn't ditch me Joey, I imagine you have your hands full with Pacey." Andie joked.

"Yeah he can be kinda hard to shake sometimes, but he's really great too." Joey said, thinking of the weird thoughts she'd been having about Pacey lately. As she and Andie rounded the corner, approaching them, was none other than Pacey Witter.

"Well, speak of the devil." Andie gestured to where Pacey was standing with a couple of other guys. As the two girls approached him, Pacey smiled widely.

"Well if it isn't two of the most gorgeous girls I know." They both rolled their eyes. "How you doing Potter? Andie?"

"We were doing fine until we spotted you, Pace," Joey teased, but Pacey's eyes seemed to be locked with Andie's. Joey looked between the two, sensing something weird, but quickly dismissed it. "Well I hate to run out on ya, Pace, but I have to go see Matherson about this essay."

"Okay," Pacey turned to her and smiled. "I'll see you at 5?" Joey nodded and headed off.

"Bye Joey." Andie said. "I better go too," she said to Pacey.

"Why?" Pacey asked, blocking her way.

"Because I get the feeling you're about to hit on me again." Andie rolled her eyes.

"Would I do that?" Pacey put on his best 'sincere' look. Andie just laughed. "What?" Pacey asked, offended. He never had so much trouble getting some girl to go out with him. Since he'd started college, he'd dated pretty much any girl he wanted, well apart from Joey, but she was different.

"Nothing, it's just you're ability to appear sincere is severely lacking."

"Hey, I can be sincere." Pacey seemed offended.

"Well I have yet to see this Mr. Witter." Andie said smiling at Pacey, before leaving him standing there awestruck.

-&-

Pacey thought about what Andie had said earlier that day. He had to admit she had a point. He wasn't very sincere when it came to the girls he went out with. He hit on them, fed them lines, and had fun. He didn't tell them anything about what he was really feeling, and he hadn't really liked any of them that much. But the thing he realized was that he had always done this on purpose.

He never wanted to let anyone in before; he didn't want to get hurt. And as Joey was so fond of reminding him, he went out with the most brain-dead girls at BU. That way he wouldn't have to let them in, they didn't care about him, and he didn't care about them.

But he could tell Andie was different. Andie was a lot like Joey actually. She was definitely not brain-dead or like any of the other girls he had dated. But for some reason, he was really interested in her. Joey had always told him to find a girl who was pretty and clever. Maybe Andie was the one.

The thing that worried him slightly though, was that Joey kept coming into his thoughts when he was thinking about Andie. They were both similar. Both very clever. Both incredibly gorgeous. And both able to see right through him.

-&-

Andie entered her English class and looked for a place to sit. Her eyes instantly met Pacey's. He smiled at her and pretended to yawn as he gestured to the seat next to him. She smirked and silently took the seat anyway.

Joey entered the classroom and was surprised to see her normal seat taken by Andie. She felt a pang of jealousy at the way Pacey was looking at her and quickly tried to suppress it. She smiled at them as she grudgingly took the seat next to Sarah and behind Pacey.

The teacher, Mr. Grady walked into the room with a smile on his face and gestured for everyone to be quiet. He cleared his throat and eventually the class subsided into silence.

"Okay students, today we are starting something new. Romeo and Juliet." He held up a copy of the play. "A tale of two star crossed lovers. One of Shakespeare's most famous plays. But before we get into talking about the play itself, I'd like to know everyone's views on love. What is love? What is your idea of love?"

The class was silent, no one willing to answer the question.

"Miss McPhee?" Mr. Grady said picking on her.

"Yes?" Andie said nervously.

"What do you think love is?"

"I…uh…I don't know," she said, unable to answer the question.

"Miss Potter?"

"Yes sir?" Joey said.

"Love? What is love? I'm sure you all claim to have been in love at some point. What is love?"

"It's uh...it's a feeling, it's um…" She struggled.

"Mr. Witter?" Pacey looked up from his doodling at the young teacher. "What is love?"

"Love?" Pacey said, thinking for only a second. "Love is friendship." Pacey said looking over at Andie. This statement had however shocked Joey very much. "If she can't become my very best friend, I could never love her, because love can't exist without friendship," he said easily. "Simple, love is friendship. Okay Mr. Grady?"

"Okay Pacey." Mr. Grady said smiling. "What an interesting thought class. Love is friendship. What does everyone else think of this?" Mr. Grady continued, but Joey's eyes drifted to Pacey, thinking about what he had said. Love is friendship? Pacey was her very best friend. She had never thought of him that way though. It just didn't happen. Who would have thought he had these kinds of ideas in his mind?

What was she thinking? She couldn't be having feelings for Pacey. He was her best friend! But like he said, love is friendship.

-&-

After class, Andie was walking out when she dropped her books by accident. She bent down to pick them up and Pacey approached her.

"So…" he said, holding out one of his friendship bands. "Will you be my friend?"

Andie smiled and looked away slightly, Pacey took that as a rejection and was about to leave when she took hold of the band. He smiled at her and laughed lightly before walking away, grinning to himself.

-&-

Joey lay in her room that night thinking about Pacey and what he had said. Pacey was her best friend, she really cared about him, and she couldn't imagine life without him. Did she love him? She thought about all the times they'd had together. Playing basketball. Going to classes together. Him bugging her annoyingly. Him sitting with her when she was upset. The two of them laughing together. He had been there every step of the way all through her years at college. She knew everything about him. Did that mean she loved him?

Did she care about him? Yes.

Did she love him? Yes.

Was she in love with him? She didn't know.

She smiled at the weird thoughts she was having.

Unbeknownst to her, Andie was next door in her room, having similar thoughts. She had met Pacey on her first day here and he had certainly made an impression on her. Not a very good one, but even then, he had made her laugh. She could tell he was sweet in that subtle kind of way.

She held his friendship band in her hand and smiled. Pacey Witter was definitely someone she wanted to be friends with. He was so obnoxious and annoying, but he was so adorable too.

-&-

"Joey, I'm bored!" Pacey whined as Joey sat on her couch reading. He was pacing up and down behind her. "Can't we go do something?"

"Like what? We have to read this play by Monday, Pace." She smirked as he continued to whine.

"Joey, how many times have we seen that movie? Come on, Romeo and Juliet! You know everyone went through that Leo phase when they watched Romeo and Juliet over and over!"

"Hmmm. I wasn't aware you had a thing for Leonardo DiCaprio." Joey laughed.

"Ugh. You know I so do not swing that way. I meant girls. Even though I never understood it. He looks like such a baby with his 10-year-old looking face and stupid blond hair."

"Well girls tend to go for that perfect look." Joey stated.

"Perfect? He is not perfect! If girls wanted perfect I don't understand why they don't just come to me." He smirked, sitting down next to her. She looked up from her book.

"Why? So they could see what they definitely don't want."

"Oh you wound me, Josephine." Pacey said playfully, putting a hand over his heart.

"I will if you call me Josephine again." She said, rolling her eyes. Before he could reply, the door opened and Andie walked in.

"Hey guys."

"Andie!" Pacey quickly jumped up off of the couch. "Just the person I wanted to see!"

"Oh yeah?" Andie raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I'm so extremely bored. Please tell me you have some suggestions to liven up this boring Saturday night." Pacey exaggerated and Joey rolled her eyes.

"Well I was just planning to stay in and watch a movie but…"

"What?"

"I just found out about this party in a dorm a few doors down." Andie wasn't usually one for parties but if this was her chance to dance with Pacey, then she was definitely up for it.

"A party. That's great. What do you say, Jo?"

"Pacey, no way. You know I have tons of work to do. And I actually want to pass this course I'm taking."

"Well if you still want to go, Pace, I'll just go get changed." Andie said, heading into her room. Joey felt a pang in her heart.

"Please come, Joey!" Pacey said, sitting next to her again. He took her hands and pried the book out of them. "It'll be fun, I promise. You need a night off and I promise not to let you get bored." He was putting on the puppy dog eyes and it just made Joey smile. At least he still wanted her there. "Please?"

"Oh ok, you've convinced me. I guess one night off won't kill me," Joey said, getting up and heading to her room to get changed.

-&-

The party was packed with college students, trying to have a night off from the stress of college. As the three of them entered, they were instantly faced with the wasted youth of America. Youth that Pacey seemed very eager to join. He enthusiastically led the way in, and Joey and Andie followed. They stood by the side as Pacey got their drinks.

"This is so much fun, Pace." Joey's voice was filled with sarcasm.

"Oh come on, Jo, I'm sure there are plenty of guys here who'd love to dance with you if you'd actually partake in what is considered normal teenage activity."

"Oh yeah," Joey shouted over the music. "Drinking and getting wasted really seems like fun to me." Pacey just rolled his eyes.

"You want to dance?" Pacey turned to Andie. She nodded and he took her arm. He held it up, but was downfallen to see that she wasn't wearing his friendship band. "I'm going to get another drink." He said, walking off.

-&-

"Hey, where'd you go?" Joey asked Pacey. She sat down next to him on the steps.

"Nowhere, just mingling with the fellow drunks." Pacey grinned.

"Doesn't look like you're mingling now." Joey nudged him.

"Hey, even I need some downtime."

"Are you done with your downtime yet?" Joey asked. "You haven't asked me to dance yet, Pace." Joey said. For some reason she was feeling a little shy. Pacey smiled.

"I didn't think you'd want to."

"Not want to dance with 'the perfect guy', even I'm not that crazy." Joey grinned as Pacey got up and took her hand.

"Let's go show this party what dancing's really about."

-&-

"Mind if I cut in?" Andie asked Joey. Pacey and Joey had been dancing for quite a while now but Joey was enjoying it quite a lot and didn't really want to move.

"Sure, go ahead," she said grudgingly. "I'll just go get a drink," she told Pacey, but he already seemed engrossed in Andie. She walked away, suddenly feeling a bit sick.

"Where have you been all night?" Andie asked Pacey, as they danced to a slow song.

"Here and there. Why?"

"I wanted to show you this really cool accessory somebody got me. It looks really nice on my _left_ hand." Andie smirked as she held up her left hand, showing Pacey the friendship band he had given her. He grinned widely.

"Hmm. It's really cool, must've been someone with great taste." Andie rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile.

-&-

Joey sat on the steps where she had been an hour ago with Pacey. She watched as he held Andie close and smiled at her. She felt tears start to form in her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong, Joey?" Sarah said, sitting next to her friend.

"Nothing, nothing." Joey said wiping her tears.

"Come on, you can tell me." Sarah prodded, following Joey's eyes to where Pacey and Andie were dancing.

"I just…I really miss my mom, Sarah." Joey rested her head on Sarah's shoulders, wishing her mom were there. Her mom would know what to do about these weird feelings she was having, or at least she would have someone to talk to about what was happening.

-&\- -&\- -&-

**Part Four "Wish Upon A Star"  
**

Joey watched as Pacey stood and stretched out by the track. He had tried out for the track team earlier in the year, but then decided he wasn't really a group runner. But Joey insisted that he keep timing his runs, just to stay in shape.

She sat down on the bench and watched him, smiling to herself. She was lost in a daze until somebody interrupted her.

"Hey Joey," Andie said smiling.

"Hey," she replied, offhandedly. She looked at Andie in her short blue dress, perfect figure, and blond hair. She was gorgeous enough to be a model. And then she looked down at her own outfit. Plain jeans and a T-shirt, that was her, just one of the guys.

Joey watched the way Andie was sitting so gracefully and tried to copy her look, to no avail.

"Joey, have you known Pacey long?" Andie asked, taking a seat next to the brunette.

"Since the first day of college." Joey smiled at the memory. "We had a run in, I beat him at basketball. I think I bruised his ego or something, but we've been friends ever since."

"Pacey's your best friend then?"

"No, I'm Pacey's best friend." Joey smiled, looking at him as he stopped running and did some cool down stretches.

"And you're not in love with him?" Joey was shocked by the sudden question. Was she in love with him? Before she had a chance to answer, the subject of their conversation approached them.

"Hey Andie," Pacey said. "Can I go?" he asked Joey.

"Yeah you're all done here." She smiled at him, but he was too busy looking at Andie.

"Where are you going?" Andie asked.

"Oh um...you know, today's Tuesday so…"

"Oh yeah, Pacey goes to see his relatives every Tuesday." Joey filled in.

"But I'll stay if you want," he said eagerly to Andie. "I don't have to go."

"No Pace, you better go," Joey said, pushing him towards the exit.

"No really, I still have time…" Pacey said trying to go back to Andie.

"You don't want to be rude Pacey. You go. Go!" Joey didn't like the way Pacey was getting too close with Andie. "Bye Pacey."

"Bye." Pacey looked at Andie, and gave her a soft smile before leaving. She smiled back and watched him leave.

-&-

Andie walked up to the library counter with the books she needed for her Psych class and stood by while the librarian checked them out. She looked towards the children's reading corner, back to the attendant, and then back to the reading corner again. Sitting with a young 9-year-old little girl was none other than Pacey Witter.

"What's going on over there?" she asked the librarian.

"Oh, that's the group of kids with special needs. A few older students volunteer to help them with their reading skills every week."

"Oh right." She smiled at the attendant and took her books before heading over to where Pacey was sitting.

"Hey," she whispered. He looked surprised, and slightly embarrassed to see Andie there. He told his child he would be right back and walked towards Andie. "So, this is where your relatives live?" she smiled at him.

"Yeah well…you know, I have a reputation to protect so… don't go telling anyone."

"That's so sweet, Pacey. Why don't you want people to know?"

"I don't know, it's just something I do, not a big deal." Pacey loved coming to help the kids. They were great, and he really enjoyed helping them. But this didn't really go with his whole bad-boy image; the only person who knew he did it was Joey, and now Andie.

Andie smiled to herself. She learned something new about Pacey Witter every day. And every day he just became more amazing in her eyes.

"Okay, I'll let you get back to your reading. Bye Pacey." She looked at him for a second and felt a sudden urge to kiss him. But instead she just smiled and walked away.

"Bye Andie."

-&-

Sarah sat on her bed and watched curiously as Joey looked through her wardrobe at her clothes and shoes.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked, startling her friend. Joey jumped and dropped the shoe she was holding onto her foot!

"Shit!" She said, jumping up and down. "I wasn't doing anything."

"That's the first time you've bothered looking in my closet. I'd ask if you wanted to borrow something but I know that's not your style."

"No it's not. I would never dress like that." The wavering note in Joey's voice gave something away. "No offense."

"Hey, none taken!" Sarah said smiling. "You know it won't kill you to dress like a girl once in a while."

"I think my style is perfectly fine thank you very much." Joey said, defensively. She was not about to let Sarah in on the fact that she'd been thinking about how she could impress guys…well one guy in particular.

"I was just saying…" Sarah smirked at Joey's defensiveness.

-&-

Andie lay on her bed, reading a novel when there was a faint tap on her bedroom door. She quickly got up and opened it.

"Pacey? What are you doing here at this time of night?"

"Actually I couldn't sleep, and I figured you probably couldn't sleep either. And if you're awake you'd be thinking about me, so I decided I'd just come over."

"Huh?" He'd said it so fast she didn't quite catch what he was saying.

"By the way, do you like flowers better or chocolates?"

"What?" She was still reeling from the fact that Pacey was standing in front of her at 1am when she'd just been thinking about him.

"I haven't got either of them, I was just asking…." He grinned and then pulled a single yellow rose out from behind his back. "Just kidding." He gave her the flower and she smiled. "I got chocolates too." He held some up. "Just in case, you can never be too careful."

Andie just watched him in amazement. He was definitely just getting better and better. They just looked at each other for a few seconds before Pacey broke the silence.

"Don't you think it's kind of cold out here? Although I'm fine really, I'm cool." Pacey said, striking a pose. Andie laughed at his joke and her own stupidity.

"I'm sorry, do you want to come in?"

"I shouldn't…"

"Ok well…"

"But since you're insisting." Pacey walked into her room, grinning to himself. "Can I?" he gestured to her bed.

"Sure." He jumped, rather unceremoniously, onto her bed, and she just rolled her eyes.

She cautiously took a seat next to him on the bed and picked up the book she had been reading. Pacey got up and looked over her shoulder.

"Hey, isn't that the book in which you find out in the end that it was actually the butler who killed that couple?" Andie looked at him annoyed, but he just let it roll off his back.

"Thanks," she said, her sarcasm going unnoticed.

"No problem. You're reading that thick book for nothing. You should've just asked me." He picked up the book she had tossed aside and looked through it. "Yeah this is it, I've read it."

Andie watched Pacey, amused at his behavior. He was always joking around; she could see it was all part of his character. She had sat in her room many times and heard Pacey and Joey, fighting or joking around in Joey's room. She didn't know how Joey could be 'just friends' with a guy like Pacey.

"So Pacey, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company at 1am?" she asked smiling.

"Well, Joey's at the library…still. I swear she's the only person I know who takes pleasure in the 24 hour service the library offers."

"So you decided since you couldn't bug Joey, you'd bug me instead?" she reasoned.

"Precisely." Pacey grinned.

"Gee, you really know how to make a girl feel special." She had said it in a playful tone, but really it kind of hurt that she came second to Joey.

"Yeah well, Joey never gets the flowers or chocolates." Pacey smiled at Andie, and she suddenly felt herself blushing.

"Oh well, I am very grateful." She got off of the bed, suddenly feeling a little out of breath.

"Andie?"

"Yeah?" She smiled at him, and he stood, coming closer to her.

"I…I should probably go…" He smiled at her one last time before leaving.

"Bye Pacey." She held her breath until he was out of her room.

-&-

Pacey ran through the grounds, searching for Joey. He looked back towards Andie's room reeling from what had just happened. Well nothing had really happened, but he just felt on a high for some reason. Before he knew it, he ran straight into someone.

"Pacey, you idiot!" Joey scowled at her friend. They had both fallen to the ground and were now sitting on the floor. "What are you doing?"

"I was just coming to find you," Pacey said. He was in too good a mood to let Joey spoil it.

"Me? Why?" She asked. He was about to answer, but looked up at the night sky and smiled.

"Hey Joey, look, shooting star!" Joey looked around.

"Not down, up, stupid!" he said pointing to the sky. They both sat and watched it. "You know, they say that if you wish on a shooting star, it'll definitely come true." Joey looked at him smiling.

"You believe all that stuff?" She didn't take him for the type to believe in things like that, it was so sweet.

"It's worth a try, come on, let's make a wish."

They both sat there next to each other and looked up, wishing that their dreams would come true.

-&-

The next few days saw Pacey spending more time with Andie, and Joey realizing more and more, how much she really liked Pacey. She couldn't believe she hadn't ever seen it. They were best friends, but they were so much more. He knew everything about her. He understood her like no one else, and she didn't think she'd ever find anyone she liked as much as Pacey. Maybe even someone she loved as much as Pacey.

"Okay I'll do it." Joey said, walking into Sarah's room.

"Okay I'll do what?" Sarah looked up from her books at her friend.

"Dress up…be girly. You know." Joey said nervously.

"You want to be girly? This doesn't have anything to do with Pacey does it?" Sarah asked, smirking.

"Pacey?" she said nervously. "Of course not. I just think, I don't know. I can't be a tomboy forever."

"Okay let's do it. This is going to be so much fun." Sarah said mischievously.

For a second, Joey thought maybe she was making a big mistake. But she had to get Pacey to notice her. He was always running after beautifully dressed girls, who wore dresses and heels, and tons of makeup. She could do that too. She would do that. Then he'd notice her. He'd have to.

-&-

Andie stood by the wall outside the college entrance. She was standing by her group of friends who were all sitting outside, relaxing. She was holding a book in her hand, silently reading. Suddenly Pacey appeared behind her.

"The butler's the murderer…" Pacey joked sticking his head in her book, and laughing.

"Pacey!" she said swatting him in the stomach.

Before she could say anything else, she noticed Joey walking towards them. Only it wasn't the Joey she was used to seeing. It was Joey in a skirt and heels and with make up. She looked very pretty and was pulling off the new look quite well. Until she tripped and stumbled slightly, not noticing how uneven the ground was in front of her

Everyone burst out laughing, unable to contain themselves. Even Pacey joined in laughing loudly at Joey. Andie watched as Joey's face turned red and tried not to shed the tears that threatened to spill over. Joey turned and ran off quickly. Andie swatted Pacey with her book before following the brunette.

"I'm stupid, aren't I?" Joey asked Andie, when she caught up with her outside, silent tears flowing down her cheeks. "I just wanted to look pretty you know, like you. But I guess I can't even do that right."

"You are pretty Joey. You're so pretty." Andie tried to comfort Joey.

"You lie. Didn't you see everyone laughing at me?"

"They're just…"

"Idiots, just like me." Pacey said coming up from behind Joey and putting an arm around her comfortingly. "Actually you're so beautiful because you're special. You're different. At least you're not like those stupid girls that I run after." Joey smiled, wiping her tears. "You know, if you wanted to, you could have any guy you want."

"Any?" Joey asked skeptically.

"Any."

"Any?"

"Any…" he grinned. "He just needs to be blind." Joey punched him lightly. Andie watched as Pacey comforted Joey. She felt out of place, like she was invading a special moment between two close friends. As Pacey continued to talk to and hold Joey, she decided to leave from behind them, not thinking they'd notice.

Just as she was walking away, Pacey grabbed onto her wrist. She turned and looked at him, and he just smiled at her. Pacey stood holding his best friend in one arm and the object of his affection in another.

-&\- -&\- -&-

**Part Five "My Last Wish"  
**

"Hey Andie," Stacy Mathis, one of Andie's new friends greeted her. She took a place next to Andie in the cafeteria.

"Hey Stacy. What's up?" Andie asked, looking up from her half-eaten plate of food.

"Nothing much. I just sense a little change in your attitude these days." Stacy grinned.

"What do you mean?" Andie was confused.

"Oh just the way you act around Pacey." Stacy nudged Andie playfully and watched her blush. "It's so obvious you're hot for him."

"I am not!" Andie said, looking around self-consciously,

"Yeah right." Stacy rolled her eyes. "Why don't you just tell him?"

"I don't know." Andie said admitting her feelings. "It's just…" Andie hesitated for a few seconds. "I mean there's Joey you know."

"Joey?" Stacy said confused.

"Yeah. You know how close they are." Andie said exasperated. "And I really like Joey, I don't want to step on any toes."

"Andie," Stacy said looking at her friend. "Pacey and Joey are just friends. They've been that way ever since I've known them. You have nothing to worry about."

"You think?" Andie said, thoughtfully.

"Yes. Now would you tell him you like him!"

-&-

"I think you should tell him you're in love with him." Sarah said seriously. She watched Joey nervously think her words over.

"I don't know…I don't even know if he feels the same."

"You shouldn't keep these things to yourself. It's better if he knows." Sarah advised.

"I don't know…" Joey thought again about telling Pacey. Maybe she should. Keeping her feelings locked up was just killing her. She didn't know how much longer she could keep it in.

-&-

Joey ran towards the gym, to where she was supposed to be meeting Pacey. Running through the open air, she felt alive. She felt like she was finally ready to tell him how she felt. She had to do it.

Pacey ran towards Joey, spotting her coming towards him. He stopped in front of her, breathing hard. He took a few deep breaths trying to catch his breath.

"I…" Joey began.

"I love you!" Pacey said cutting her off. Joey was so shocked; she definitely hadn't expected that. "I love you," he repeated. "Shit, I never thought I'd ever say that to anyone, but I really love you…" Joey smiled widely, she couldn't believe Pacey was saying this to her.

"I really hope I can say that to her," he continued. Joey looked at him, not understanding what he was saying, but he rambled on, not realizing her confusion. "You know, I've thought about it so many times. I'd just go and tell her how I feel, but every time, I don't know, I just go near her and then you know…"

"Who?" Joey asked, suddenly feeling a huge lump in her throat.

"Andie, who else?" Joey's face fell. Pacey loved Andie. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized it. She fought to control the tears she knew were forming in her eyes. "Let's do it again. I'll be me and you be Andie, ok?" Pacey continued, not realizing how badly he was hurting Joey. She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "Look up." She tried to control her tears and looked at him.

"I…. Here." He picked up a flower from nearby and held it out to her, but then dropped it on the floor. "That's so lame." Pacey fidgeted nervously and then took a deep breath. "I love you," he said again.

"I…I love you too," Joey told him truthfully.

"She's going to say that isn't she?" Pacey asked nervously. Joey couldn't form any words; she just nodded and tried to smile at him. "Come here." He embraced her in a hug, and she felt like crying. A few tears fell, as she felt it harder to control them while he hugged her.

"Should I tell her?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Should I go now?" he asked. She nodded and he kissed her cheek quickly before rushing off. "Thanks Joey," he called back.

Joey stood there, feeling all alone. She let her tears fall, finally letting it out. She'd just lost the one person she loved more than anything else.

-&-

Pacey ran up to Andie as she walked to her next class. He was out of breath, but he knew he had to do this now. She looked at him and smiled. He felt like melting.

"Pacey, hey I was just…." His lips touched hers, cutting her off. It was a short sweet kiss, telling her everything she needed to know.

"I love you." He ginned widely at her before running off again. She watched him walk away, still reeling from his kiss, and his words. Pacey Witter loved her. Her! She couldn't quite believe it. But she was definitely happy.

-&-

Joey sat in her room holding a picture of herself and Pacey. It had been taken a few months ago. He was holding onto her, and she was laughing about something. They looked so happy. She wiped another tear she knew was about to fall.

She thought about everything they had been through together. They had been through so much. He was there for everything. He was there on the first day of school when she felt so alone. He was there when everything seemed to be going wrong, and she just felt like giving up. He was there every day making her feel better. Joking around with her. Fighting with her.

She didn't think she could sit back and watch him with Andie. Sure she'd seen him with girls before, loads of girls. But never anyone like Andie. Never anyone he loved. She didn't think she could stand by while he was with her.

Why hadn't she realized just how much Pacey meant to her before? She had taken him for granted, and now she had to suffer.

The phone rang, disturbing her train of thought.

"Hello." She answered.

"Hey Joey, it's Bodie."

"Bodie. Hey, how are you?" Joey asked, slightly happier after hearing a friendly voice.

"I'm good Joey, it's just…" Bodie's voice trailed off and Joey quickly picked up on his tone.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Joey asked.

"Nothing. Nothing's wrong. Well, Bessie's been feeling really run down lately. I'm taking her to the hospital for some tests tomorrow. I just…I shouldn't have even told you, but I just needed to…"

"No. No. It's fine Bodie. I'm glad you told me. Do you think its something serious? Should I come home?"

"No. I don't think it's serious. You know me, I worry about your sister way too much."

"I'm glad you do," Joey said smiling.

"Anyway, I was just kind of bored so I thought I'd check in with my little sister-in-law," Bodie said cheerfully. "How's everything going there?"

"Oh, everything's fine," Joey lied.

"And Pacey? How's he? I'm surprised he's not there, he's usually always around when I call."

"Oh…um, he's fine. I think he has class," Joey said quickly. "How's Alex?" she asked, hoping Bodie wouldn't notice the swift change of tactics.

She spoke to Bodie for a little while longer before hanging up. She felt mildly better, but when she looked at the picture of Pacey, it all hit home again. She looked at the phone and thought about Bessie, and suddenly she knew just what she had to do.

-&-

Pacey ran through the train station looking into each of the windows searching for Joey. Andie ran along with him.

"Joey! Joey!" he called.

"Pacey, I'll go look that way, you look up ahead." Andie said running in the opposite direction as Pacey.

Pacey ran further up the train and looked inside. Finally he spotted Joey. They locked eyes for a second before Pacey ran towards the train door. Joey quickly wiped her tears and pretended to search through her bag for something, anything to not have to look at him.

"Where are you going?" Pacey asked.

"Back home." She stated flatly.

"What?"

"Umm…Bodie called and um…Bessie's not been feeling well and I need to go…and they need my help…" Joey said, not looking at him.

"You've gone crazy. Bodie called and you just up and left?" He picked up her bag and headed towards the door. "You're not going anywhere, come on."

"Pacey, I have to go," she pleaded.

"How can you just leave mid-semester?" he asked stubbornly.

"Please try and understand, Pace." She tried to control her tears. He was so stubborn, that's why she hadn't even told him.

"Go after finals," he ordered, moving towards the exit with her bag.

"Pacey!"

"After finals!" His voice was stern.

"But…" Pacey was almost off the train.

"After finals Joey!"

"I might not even come back for finals, Pace!" She blurted out suddenly. He stopped and looked at her. "I'm not coming back, Pacey," she said softly.

"You're leaving college." His voice seemed so hurt. "You're leaving me? You didn't even tell me." He looked angry now. "Fine!" He dropped her bag to the floor.

"Pacey!"

"I don't wanna know," he said, walking off the train. Joey stood in the door and called to him.

"Pacey I'm going," she said.

"Go!" He tried to keep his voice sounding nonchalant, but his face was torn up.

"I'm really going." She said again, challenging him to do something, say something, anything to stop the hurting.

"Go!" He said, not looking at her. Andie came up and watched the scene.

"Pacey, I'm not coming back." Joey's tears began forming in her eyes.

"Fine. I don't care ok?" Andie and Joey locked eyes. Joey's eyes were sad, and suddenly Andie felt like there was an understanding between them. Like a silent plea on Joey's part, telling Andie to look after Pacey. Telling Andie all Joey hadn't managed to tell Pacey.

The last call for Joey's train was called and Pacey turned around. He locked eyes with Joey, not understanding how she could leave him like this, without even telling him. Just like that. The train began moving slowly.

"Shit!" Pacey quickly ran with the train. "Joey! Joey! Don't go. Who am I supposed to play basketball with?" Joey laughed lightly through her tears.

"You lost every day, Pace."

"Why are you going?" he asked, pleadingly.

"Bessie needs me."

"What about me? I need you." Joey hesitated for a second.

"I think you should bug Andie now, you've bothered me enough."

"I'll fail without you," he threatened.

"So fail."

"Hey!"

"Now stop running after those stupid girls. And take care of yourself." Pacey stopped running, out of breath.

"I'll miss you, Jo." He was finally accepting that she was leaving, but he still couldn't believe it.

"I'll miss you too." Joey called back to him.

Pacey stood by and watched the train rush off taking the best friend he'd ever had with it. She'd come into his life suddenly and left just as quickly.

(Andie VO)

"…. That day I felt that maybe I'd come between Pacey and Joey, maybe I'd come between two best friends." Jo had tears in her eyes as she read Andie's letter. "Joey's silence said everything to me and I realized how much Joey loved your dad, probably even more than I ever could. Joey never called or wrote. She vanished from our lives forever.

"Your Dad used to say that love is friendship. And yeah, I became his friend, but I could never be his best friend. I know your Dad, he's alone but he won't ever say anything. He's missing a friend in his life, a love…that friend is Joey, that love is Joey. Bring Joey back into your Dad's life, honey. Give Joey her first love back. Pacey and Joey belong together, that's the truth, and that's my dream." Jo looked at the picture of Joey her mother had left her in the letter. "Can you fulfill this dream of mine, Jo? Can you give Joey back what I stole from her so many years ago?"

Jo wiped the tears in her eyes and looked at the picture of her Mom that was hanging on the wall. She looked back at the picture of Joey in her hand. She would do this. She would do this for her mom. She would reunite Pacey and Joey.

-&\- -&\- -&-

**Part Six "Tell Me About Joey"**

She tried to get back to sleep after reading her mom's letter, but her mind wouldn't let her rest. Jo had lay awake in her bed all night, until her Dad came into her room to wake her early in the morning. Now, Pacey was making his daughter a special birthday breakfast while she sat up in her bed waiting for her favourite show to come on television.

She couldn't get her mind off her Mom's letter. She hadn't stopped thinking about what she was going to do. She had to do something. She had promised her Mom. She would do this for her Mom. She would do this for her Dad.

She looked at the picture of Joey again. She was really pretty and her style reminded Jo of herself a little. She had never liked dressing up much, and was a bit of a tomboy. Joey seemed so nice. Jo was a little sad that she had left her parent's lives so abruptly.

She needed to find out whether her Dad still thought about Joey. She knew that her Dad loved her Mom more than anything. But reuniting Joey and her Dad was Andie's dream, and Jo was determined to fulfill it.

The beginning of her favourite show pulled Jo out of her train of thought and she quickly tuned in.

"Hi kids, welcome to the Toni Adams show! Today we've got something special planned," Toni, the show's host said. "We're going to play a game. I'm going to say a word and you have to say whatever word comes into your head. But…but...but…you won't have any time to think. Okay? Let's start." Jo watched as Toni walked up to various children.

"Clouds?"

"Uh…uh…uh…"

"Sorry time's up." She moved on to the next person.

"Love?"

"Mom." A little girl answered.

"Monday?"

"School."

"Good. So kids, try it at home. It's the best way to find out what people are really feeling." Jo's eyes lit up and she knew just what she was going to do.

-&-

"Stupid game. Stupid Toni." Pacey told his daughter, playfully.

"Dad, don't call my Toni stupid." Jo pouted.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. Let's play." Pacey picked her up onto his shoulders and began walking around the house.

"Sexy?" Jo said as they entered the kitchen where Doug and his wife Tina were waiting.

"Aunt Tina!" Pacey grinned and Tina whacked him playfully.

"Dad! Be serious!" Jo said, annoyed. How was she supposed to find anything out if he wasn't serious?

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Go." Pacey got himself a glass of water from the fridge and started drinking it as Jo spoke.

"Clouds?" He was drinking his water and couldn't answer. "Dad! You can't take that much time!"

"Sorry, I was drinking water. Okay now I won't take time. We'll seriously start. Go." Pacey said, smiling at his daughter's bossiness.

"Clouds?"

"Wind."

"Crazy?"

"You." Pacey smiled at his daughter. She came up with the craziest things sometimes. But he always went along with what she wanted.

"Home?"

"Us."

"Love?"

"Friendship."

"Joey?"

"Potter." Oops. It had come out of his mouth so naturally. He put Jo down on the couch and she looked at him suspiciously.

"Potter? Who's Joey Potter?" She asked, crossing her arms suspiciously. Doug came out of the kitchen and joined Jo.

"Yeah, who is she?" He asked.

"No one." Pacey tried to dodge them.

"Come on Dad, it's my birthday." Jo was starting to put on her puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, because it's your birthday." Pacey took a deep breath and looked away slightly. "Joey Potter was…a girl I used to know in college." He tried to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible but they saw right through it.

"College, huh?" Doug watched his brother; Pacey had this far away look in his eyes.

"Yeah. She was my friend."

"Friend?" Jo prodded.

"My best friend." Pacey sat down and Jo jumped into his lap.

"Her name is really nice." Jo smiled at her Dad and he tickled her playfully. "What was she like?"

"She wasn't like other girls. She was just one of the guys. All the other girls would get dressed up and go out, and Joey…Joey would hang with me, and play basketball."

Doug and Jo watched Pacey as he thought of his past. It wasn't the first time he'd thought of Joey. But this was the first time he'd really spoken about her.

"The best thing was that she'd never take ages getting dressed up. I'd call and she'd be ready." He smiled at the memory. "She would always fight with me, and keep me in line. It's thanks to her that I even passed college. She was really something."

Pacey realised that Jo and Doug were looking at him curiously and snapped out of his daze. He got up and spun his little daughter around.

"Enough? Or you have anymore questions?" He kissed her softly on her head.

"Where is she, Dad?" A look of regret passed Pacey's face as he answered.

"I don't know, Jo. I don't know."

-&-

"I can't believe you're getting engaged, Joey." Bessie walked into Joey's room smiling. She watched Joey as she continued to get dressed.

Yes, Joey Potter was getting dressed up. Her hair was swept on top of her head and held in place with a butterfly clip with a few tendrils of hair framing her face. Her earrings glittered as she turned from side to side. She smoothed her dark red dress, looking at herself in the mirror.

Bessie smiled at her younger sister and stepped behind her, resting her chin on Joey's shoulder.

"You look beautiful, Joey," Bessie reassured her. Joey forced a smile and bent over toward the mirror to finish reapplying her make-up. Bessie stood back and watched Joey, wondering when and how her little sister had become such a beautiful woman. She looked so elegant and graceful, finally having grown into her lanky body, filling out and gaining some curves. She was still thin and tall; her continuing interest in sports giving her the advantage of a toned, shaped body. Bessie laughed lightly, recalling how only two weeks ago Joey had completely whooped Bodie's butt in a game of one on one.

A piece of Joey's long brown hair escaped her clip and Bessie gently tucked it back into place as Joey put on a last coat of lipstick.

"How much longer are you going to take? Your fiancé is getting restless." It was the middle of the afternoon and Joey had been getting ready for hours.

"Tell him to wait. This girl's gonna take her time." Jo said to Bessie, laughing. She applied the finishing touches to her make up and looked at herself in the mirror one last time before heading downstairs for the engagement party.

She smiled at various people who were scattered around her living room. She had moved into her house soon after leaving Boston. She, Bessie, Bodie and Alex had all moved to Chicago, when Bodie had taken a job as head chef in one of the leading restaurants. Bessie's illness had turned out to be nothing more than stress and tension caused by the uncertainties of the business at that time.

"Guess who?" A familiar voice said as he wrapped his arms around Joey from behind.

"Hmm I don't know. Could it be…?" She pretended to think about it for a second.

"Joey, I'm shocked. You don't have anyone else who would greet you that way do you?" Her fiancé joked as she turned to look at him. He smiled at her and kissed her lightly. "You look gorgeous."

"You don't look so bad yourself." She grinned.

She had met her husband-to-be just over a year ago. He had come into the art studio she owned and he had instantly fallen for her. From then on, she fought his insistent attempts of going out with her, but had eventually given in. He was the assistant director on a movie that had been filming in Chicago at the time, but he moved there after it had wrapped up. He was a great guy. He loved her a lot.

"So shall we go announce our wedding to the rest of the world Miss. Potter?" He said, holding his arm out to her. She grinned and took his arm.

"Of course Mr. Leery."

-&-

"Jo hurry up we have to…." He trailed off, as his daughter walked into the room. She looked just like Joey for a second. That same look. That same style. He could almost see Joey smiling back at him. Jo smiled, hoping her mission had been completed. She took his hand and headed out of the door with him.

Twenty quiet minutes later they arrived at their destination. Doug and Tina watched as Pacey and Jo bent over to place flowers on Andie's grave. Eight years since her death and it was still as hard as ever.

Pacey put his arm around his daughter as they stood in silence for a few seconds. Pacey held back his tears for his daughter's sake. He bent down and wiped the single tear that was making its way down her face. She hugged her Dad hard, crying for the mother she never had.

But Andie's letters had never let Jo forget her Mom, and in a way, she had known her even though she had never met her. It made Jo even more determined to fulfill her mother's wishes.

-&-

Joey sat on her bed, taking off her jewelry when Bessie walked in. Bessie watched her sister's serious expression and far off look, worriedly. For some reason, she'd been getting this sinking feeling that something wasn't right with Joey.

"Joey?" Bessie said coming up to her. "This is going to sound stupid but…. Are you happy?" Joey looked up, shocked by the question.

"What kind of a question is that?" Joey said. But the wavering tone in her voice gave something away. "Of course I'm happy. I'm engaged. Dawson's a great guy. He loves me a lot. And…"

"Do you love him?" She asked suddenly. Joey was quiet for a second. She didn't know what to say.

"I've already been in love, Bess. I don't think I can do it again. I guess you could think of this as an agreement. I'm not supposed to marry the one I love." Bessie looked slightly shocked. She felt bad for Joey.

"I never thought you'd marry for anything less than love, Jo. I want you to be happy. But I don't think a marriage based on convenience and not love ever works." She looked at Joey's sullen expression. "But I guess it's up to you."

Bessie left Joey to think about her words. She was reminded of the love that she had lost so long ago. She wondered where he was. Whether he was married. Whether he thought about her just as much as she thought about him. She doubted it. Pacey had never loved her like she loved him.

She had to move on. Dawson loved her, and on some level she loved him too. He was great with her. She knew he would take care of her, and stay with her and always love her. She had to forget about Pacey and move on.

-&-

Pacey bounced the basketball at the back of his house. It always helped him to relax. This day had never been easy on him. It was the day he had lost Andie. The day he'd lost his wife. But it was also Jo's birthday and he vowed never to let the little girl not enjoy it. After visiting Andie's grave in the morning, they went over to Doug's house where Doug and Tina hosted Jo's birthday party.

For some reason he kept thinking of Joey today. Little reminders of her were all around him. Just him playing basketball was a reminder of Joey. His daughter was a big reminder of Joey. The name, Andie had insisted on calling their daughter.

But the truth was Joey had always been there, in the back of his mind. He wondered where she was. He tried finding her, but no luck. He needed her so many times. He needed her when Andie died. But she wasn't there. She just left him. She left him forever.

-&-

Doug held on to his niece as he read Andie's letter. Jo had come to him this morning and gave him the letter and asked him to read it. She seemed so normal yesterday, during her birthday party; she hadn't even mentioned this letter. The little girl was definitely something.

He couldn't believe this. He couldn't believe how much he didn't know about Pacey's life. He had definitely seen something in Pacey's face when he had spoken about Joey Potter before. But this story that Andie was telling was heartbreaking.

What made it even more heartbreaking, was that even in death Andie had managed to make sure Pacey would be happy. He finished reading and hugged Jo, silently agreeing to help her.

-&-

"I don't know Jo, Joey could be anywhere. Doing anything." Doug told the little girl sitting next to him looking perplexed.

Pacey had dropped Jo off at the station at her request. She wanted to bug her Uncle about Joey some more and Doug agreed to let her come down to the station because he knew how important it was to her.

He'd been thinking about the letter really seriously for the past few hours. He had promised Jo he'd help her find Joey, but he didn't know if it was the right thing to do. Sure, Joey had loved Pacey, but that was a long time ago. Joey could be anywhere now. She could be happily married for all they knew.

"Come on Uncle Doug, you have to help me. I have to do this for my Mom. I have to do this so that my Dad will be happy." He looked down at his niece's pleading eyes. He couldn't disappoint her. They had to at least try and find Joey.

"Okay. Let me see what I can do." Doug said. Jo grinned from ear to ear as she hugged her uncle.

"Thanks Deputy Doug!" She smiled.

"Did your Dad tell you to call me that?" Doug asked as he did something on the computer. Jo watched fascinated, not knowing what her uncle was doing, but knowing he would come through for her.

"Yep. Did you find anything?" She asked as she tried to get onto the table to sit down.

"One sec. Hmmm Joey isn't…" Doug smiled watching his niece trying to climb onto the table. "Here." He lifted her easily onto the table next to his computer. "Joey's details aren't listed in the college files. And obviously, and very thankfully, she doesn't have a criminal record so I can't find her in the database."

"Uh hello? Uncle Doug, you're talking to an 8-year-old. I have no idea what that means?" Jo looked confused. Doug smiled.

"Well if you would give me a minute I can try and find something you will understand. You know, it's so clear to me that you're Pacey's daughter."

"And damn proud of it!" Jo grinned at her uncle.

"I'm sure if your Dad we're here he would be very proud to hear you say that." Doug smiled. "Oh here we go." Doug said looking at the computer screen.

"What?" Jo said excitedly.

"I think I've found the person who may know where Joey went." Doug smiled as Jo hugged him enthusiastically.

"You're the best, Uncle Doug!"

"I know." Doug said, hoping he was doing the right thing.

-&-

"I'm really sorry. Joey told me not to give her address to anyone. I can't betray that trust." Sarah said to Doug. Jo looked like she was going to cry.

"I'm Joey too, won't you even tell me?" The little girl said. Jo needed to know. She wasn't going to give up. She had been trying to find Jo all day, after getting Doug to help her, they'd found out where her old friend Sarah lived and went to see her.

Sarah looked torn. She didn't know whether she should tell them where Joey was. Joey didn't want them to find her. But then again, that was before. Joey didn't know that Andie had died. She didn't know that Pacey had a daughter who would look for her.

"You're too late. I'm sorry. Joey just got engaged yesterday, and she's supposed to be getting married really soon." Sarah said regretfully.

"No, there's still time. Please? I need to speak to Joey." Sarah looked at the little girl. She looked so much like Pacey. That same mischievous look, those same eyes. She couldn't believe how much everything had changed. She gave in and handed Joey's phone number over to Doug, wishing them good luck.

-&-

"God, Jo, I can't believe we have to wait so long. I want to get married now." Dawson whined. The rush of the engagement party was over now and Dawson was anxious to get married. If he had it his way, they would've skipped the engagement and just got married.

"Yeah well, wedding's take time." Joey said smiling.

"Not this much time, if you weren't going…."

"Jo, it's your phone." Bessie said, cutting Dawson off. Joey headed to get the phone, leaving Dawson behind.

"Hello?" There's no reply. "Hello?"

"Hello." A voice said.

"Hello." Joey answered quickly.

"I love you." Jo turned and realised the voice was coming from behind her and not from whoever was on the phone.

"Dawson!"

"I have a small problem," he said.

"What?" She asked, turning into him.

"Don't leave me like this," He pleaded holding on to her. Sometimes he was such a baby. She'd only walked over to the phone and he felt like she was leaving him

"Dawson!" She said warningly. "I was only getting the phone. I'm not going to run off." She smiled at him.

"You're already going to Camp Redwood in California. I can't bear to be away from you."

"You're going to LA too," she argued.

"Yeah, I'm going for 24 hours. You're going for a whole month," he whined.

"Dawson, you know that I go to Camp Redwood every summer to help out. Those kids are a part of my life now," she explained.

"Great, those kids are a part of you're life too," he said in a pouty voice. "Why does it seem like you don't love me?" His tone was serious, but not judging.

"Because I don't." Joey said lightly, smiling to let him know she was joking.

"And you don't want to marry me?" He said teasingly.

"I don't." Jo agreed.

"I guess I'm just going to have to drag you to the altar then, huh?" Dawson smiled, despite the pain he felt. He felt her holding back from him.

"I'd like to see you try." Joey said playfully as he kissed her.

Dawson walked away smiling at her. She suddenly realised she was still holding the phone. "Hello?"

Back in Boston, Jo's face lit up as she put the phone down. "Summer Camp!" She grinned, getting an idea. "In California!" She knew just how she was going to reunite her Dad and Joey. And this Camp would be the perfect place.

-&\- -&\- -&-

Part Seven "Your Name or Mine?"

"What?" Pacey said turning to face his daughter. "Summer camp? In California." Jo nodded. "No, no, no! You're not going to some camp in California." Pacey looked at his daughter's pleading face. "It's…. Honey it snows a lot there…you'll get sick!"

"Dad!" Jo rolled her eyes at her Dad. "It's a _summer_ camp!"

"Whatever. You're still not going." Pacey continued to put his tie on and get ready for work. "Is this okay?" He asked Jo, pointing to his tie.

"Yeah," Jo said, smoothing it down for him while maintaining her pout. "Dad, I heard they also have singing and dancing there! And you know how much I love singing and dancing."

"Since when do you love singing and dancing?" Pacey asked his daughter, ignoring the fact that he'd often found her singing along to songs and dancing in her room. "I told you once, you can't go. No means no." Pacey said, trying to sound convincing.

"Dad that's not fair!" Jo pouted. Doug walked into the room hearing the end of the conversation.

"Why don't you let her go, Pace? She'll have fun." He added.

"Don't you start too. I know what you two are like when you gang up on me." Doug gave him a look. "I'll handle this ok?"

"Why can't she go? It's not like it's unsupervised. Billions of children go to summer camp every year." Doug tried convincing Pacey.

"Well, not Joey, I just…I…" Pacey looked between Jo and Doug. He hated when they ganged up on him. He couldn't let Jo go. She hadn't been away from home since she was born. She'd never been away from him. "Just no okay?"

Doug nudged Jo to say something to her Dad to try and convince him. She decided to go the typical 8-year-old's route.

"Dad I wanna go! I wanna go! I wanna go!" She screamed. "It's not fair! I love camp!"

"I said no didn't I?" Pacey screamed. Then he recoiled; watching Jo's hurt face. He walked up to his daughter who was sulking quietly.

Pacey didn't know quite why he was so set against Jo going to camp. But ever since Andie had died, Jo was all he had. It sounded strange to say that he depended on this eight-year-old girl, but it was true. She was everything to him. She'd been everything to him since the moment she was born. Even if she didn't realize it, Pacey didn't know what he'd do without Jo.

She was a bossy little kid too, but she helped Pacey through everything. Sometimes he forgot that she was only a little girl. Yet other times she acted too much like an eight-year-old. But Pacey loved her just as she was.

Sending her away to camp, even if it was just for a month, wasn't something he thought he could do. Mostly because he didn't think he'd be able to handle himself without her.

"Was that bad?" Pacey asked her. Jo was even his guide on how to be a good parent sometimes and shouting wasn't something he did often. She nodded. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Jo said wiping her face. Pacey smiled and bent down to kiss her forehead.

"But that still doesn't mean you can go to camp. And I don't want to discuss this anymore." Pacey said running around gathering things for work. "I'm going to work now and I'll be back later. We'll go shopping, ok?" Pacey rambled on. He felt bad for having shouted at his baby girl, but he couldn't let her go. "That would be fun huh? Finish getting ready and don't be late for school. Uncle Doug will drop you off." He gave Jo a quick kiss on the cheek and headed out the door.

"Dad?" Jo called.

"Yeah?" Pacey said smiling at his daughter.

"You forgot your briefcase." She said pointing to it.

"Oh right. Thanks." Pacey came back in and picked it up. But as he was walking out he turned back to Jo and hugged her. "I'll see you tonight." He said before finally leaving.

Doug looked at his niece who was looking rather perplexed.

"Don't worry Jo. I'll take you to the summer camp. That's not a problem. I looked into it and I can sign you up without Pacey. But how are we going to get your Dad there?"

"Oh come on Uncle Doug!" Jo said in a patronizing tone, jumping up onto his back. "Remember last year when Dad went to London and I got really sick." Doug nodded. "Dad left everything and came back straight away." Jo smiled devilishly. Doug thought for a minute until Jo's meaning sunk in.

"Oh!" He said grinning.

-&-

Two weeks of scheming and planning later…

Pacey came home from work to find an awfully quiet house, too quiet for an eight-year-old to be living there.

"Joey?" Pacey called. "Jo, I bought you something!" He called as he walked further into the house. Doug's wife, Tina was supposed to be babysitting Jo.

Pacey looked around for a note, figuring Tina must have taken Jo out. Just as he suspected there was one. He began reading as he walked further into his room to change.

He smiled at his daughter's messy handwriting, but his smile soon faded.

_"Dear Daddy,_

_I'm sorry me and Uncle Doug left without telling you. But you know how much I wanted to go to summer camp. I'm real sorry Dad. Don't worry so much, I'll be fine. Look after yourself. Take care. I know I have to do everything for you but try to manage. And don't miss me too much._

_Love Joey"_

"Joey!" Pacey sighed. His daughter would be the death of him!

-&-

Jo looked around the big camp excitedly. There were children running around everywhere. She had never been to camp before. Actually she had never been away from her Dad for very long before either. She was all he had. She knew that her Daddy needed her. She had to do everything for him. She didn't like to leave him alone. But she hadn't needed to before now.

"Okay Joey, this is it." Doug said, bending down to kiss his niece. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Uncle Doug!" Jo rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. Look all the kids here are alone. No adults, remember?" Jo sighed. Did adults not remember summer camp at all?

"I know, little missy." Doug said mussing Jo's hair. "I'm just going to miss you."

"I'll miss you too. I don't know if I'll ever see you again." Jo said seriously, trying not to laugh at her Uncle.

"Why not?" Doug asked quizzically. Jo burst out laughing.

"I don't think my Daddy is going to be very happy with you when you get home." She joked.

"Well I think I can handle your Dad. I just hope this works." Doug said, regretting this plan for the millionth time. It was just something about Jo that made you see things her way.

"It will. Don't worry so much." Jo said. "Now I have to go. Bye Uncle Doug." Jo said kissing Doug on the cheek one last time before rushing off with the other kids.

"Bye Joey." Doug called after his niece.

-&-

Jo looked at the picture in her hands and then up at the woman who was smiling brightly at all the children as she handed out balloons. She looked different than she did in the picture. Her hair was longer now and she looked like less of a tomboy. But it was still her. Joey Potter.

Joey smiled at all the children crowding her, all trying to get a balloon. She loved these kids and their bright smiling faces. Some old, some new. They just shone with innocence. She loved coming here. This camp was her safe haven.

She watched as the kids ran off, each with a balloon, leaving her with nothing. She sat on the steps watching them until she spotted a little girl watching her. She smiled at the girl as she walked towards her.

"I'm sorry, I'm all out of balloons." Joey said. "What's your name?"

"Joey." Jo answered smiling.

"Hey, that's my name too!" Joey smiled brightly and held her hand out. "Hi!" She shook Jo's hand.

"Why is your name Joey?" Jo asked. Joey was amused by the strange question.

"Hmmm. I don't know." She thought for a second. "Maybe my Mom and Dad liked the name, that's why. Why is your name Joey?" she returned, knowing Jo must've had a reason for asking the question in the first place.

"Maybe my Mom and Dad liked YOU, that's why." Jo said smiling before walking off after all the other children.

Joey watched the girl strangely. That was weird. But the girl did seem really sweet. She'd have to keep a special eye out for her.

-&-

That night, Jo sat by the edge of her bed and put her hands together for prayer. Although Pacey wasn't religious, he told Jo that her Mom was with God, in a special place and Jo often asked God for things.

"Dear God. How are you? I'm ok. Please keep my Dad happy and make sure he doesn't miss me too much. You know he can't do anything without me. He needs me but I can't be there right now. Please look out for him. Thank you."

Joey walked into the young girl's room while she was praying and heard the little girl's wishes.

"Caught you!" She said.

"Miss Joey!" Jo said, turning around surprised. "Hi."

"All your prayers for your Dad. Nothing for your Mom?" Joey said smiling. But a sad look passed over the girl's face.

"I don't need to ask God for anything for my Mom." Jo said quietly.

"Why not?"

"She's with him. Whatever she wants, she can ask him for herself." Jo said, taking Andie's picture off her bedside and holding it close. She still missed her Mom so much. But then she remembered that the whole reason she was here was to fulfil her mother's wishes. And that was exactly what she was going to do.

"Oh." Joey said. She didn't know what else to say. She had never been really good at this kind of stuff. There were a couple of seconds of silence before Joey got up. "Well you get some sleep okay? We have a big day tomorrow. Goodnight Joey."

"Goodnight Miss Joey."

-&-

Joey walked into the mess hall where some of the slightly older children were watching TV. She thought about Jo. She felt bad for the young girl. She too had lost her mom at such a young age. Joey missed her Mom so much but she was grateful for the years she did have with her. She couldn't believe Jo didn't have her Mom, at only 8 years old.

She smiled at a few of the kids before continuing into the camp counselors' lounge. Luckily there was no one else in there; Joey liked to have some quiet time on her own. She picked up a stray magazine that must have been left by one of the other counselor's and turned the television on before settling onto the couch. She smiled as one of her favorite talk shows, The Toni Adams Show, started.

"Hey guys. As always we have something new and exciting planned for you today. The theme of today's show is Love Messages. Yep, It's your chance to have your voice be heard. Let your loved ones know you care."

Toni asked various people from the audience for messages, some more funny than others. Joey was half listening as she flipped through the magazine.

"Hi, I want to give a message." Pacey said. He couldn't believe he was doing this. But his daughter loved this show and always watched it no matter where she was. And he was feeling so empty without her.

He had found out that the show was filming in Boston this week and thought he'd go down to the studio. He felt kind of silly being on live television, but he'd do anything for his daughter.

"Sure, what's your message?" Toni said.

"Jo…Joey. I love you Joey." Joey looked up at the TV totally shocked. She blinked a million times before she realised that she wasn't hallucinating. Pacey Witter was indeed staring her in the face. Yes it was Pacey Witter on the TV. And he said he loves you? What the hell is going on? Pacey is on T.V? Pacey still loves you? No! Pacey doesn't love you. He never loved you. This cannot be happening!

"Joey, where have you gone? You know I'm so lonely without you. Look just come back or…Just come back, ok? I love you and I miss you." Pacey said, near tears.

Joey looked at Pacey. Really looked. He hadn't changed at all. And in some ways he had changed so much. He obviously looked older. His features were more defined. She could see the little signs of a developing five o'clock shadow. But he still looked as handsome as always. His blue eyes seemed to be burning into her.

He looked like he was talking to her. She felt like he was talking to her. Asking her to come back to him. Even after all these years. He wanted her back. And truthfully, she'd never stopped wanting him.

"Who's Joey?" Toni asked. Joey listened intently for his answer.

"Joey's my eight year old daughter." Joey couldn't believe her ears. She felt like she was going to faint. Pacey had a daughter? An eight year old daughter? Called Joey? "She's gone to some camp in California." An eight-year-old daughter called Joey, at camp?

It suddenly seemed to fit. Pacey wasn't talking to her. Pacey wasn't asking Joey to come back. He didn't love her. Jo was his daughter. Named after Joey? Why? Everything was still spinning in her mind.

Suddenly, Joey didn't need to listen to anymore. She got up and ran to Jo's room, tears streaming down her face. She reached the little girl's bed and watched Jo sleeping peacefully, clutching the picture she had in her hands earlier.

Joey took a deep breath, not sure if she was ready to face the truth that may be revealed. She carefully lifted the picture up and slowly turned it over and looked at it. She broke down crying. Staring back at her, was none other than Andie McPhee…or Witter. She couldn't believe all that she'd suddenly found out.

Pacey and Andie had a daughter? Andie was dead? Oh my, God, Andie was dead. What had happened? Did Jo know who she was? Does Pacey know where I am?

Nothing was making sense. And Joey had a feeling it was just going to get worse.

-&\- -&\- -&-

Part Eight "Overreacting"

Pacey returned home from another long day of work to find an empty house. He sighed, walking further into the house and pulling at his tie. Jo had been gone a week but it seemed like forever to him. He was seriously worried about how he would cope when Jo got older and moved away. He was having trouble not worrying about her now, and she would only be gone a month.

He walked further into the house and pressed play on his answering machine as he continued into the kitchen to find something to eat.

"Mr. Witter, your meeting with the European clients is confirmed for 11 am tomorrow. I called them as you asked."

"Boring." Pacey muttered at the sound of his secretary's voice.

"Hi, Pacey." A sugary sweet voice said over the machine. "It's Hannah, I'm having a party this weekend and I'd love for you to come. I promise not to let you get bored."

"When is she going to give up?" Pacey asked no one in particular. Hannah was one of the girls Doug had tried to set Pacey up with, but he definitely wasn't interested. He picked out the carton of orange juice and moved away from the fridge.

"Dad…." Jo's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Aaahchhooo. Aaahchhooo."

"Jo!"

-&-

Pacey walked up and down his house, worried out of his mind. His first reaction to Jo's phone call had been to just pack up and leave to see her. A little voice at the back of his mind told him that he was being unreasonable and that Jo only sneezed, but his fatherly instincts were telling him that his baby needed him.

She had spoken normally, and said she was fine and having a good time, but there were a couple of coughs and sneezes in between the message. He was going out of his mind with worry. He had to go and make sure she was okay. Ever since she was born Pacey had always been there when she got sick, and she was there when he got sick. They needed each other. Jo was all he had left.

But what if he got there and everything was fine? How could he just barge into the camp anyway? He would look totally stupid. As far as he knew, parents were not supposed to visit during the camp time. This was killing him. He needed to see her to make sure she was okay.

When she was sick a few years ago, it had started as a sneeze but had turned into a terrible cold. But he had come home from his business trip immediately to look after her. But now she wasn't at home. She was gone.

He picked up the phone and dialed Doug's number. Since he was the one who put his little girl in the camp in the first place, maybe he could calm Pacey down.

"Hello?" Doug answered.

"Hey, Doug. It's Pacey."

"No kidding. What's up lil' bro?" Doug sounded amused. He had just spoken to Jo himself and she had told him that their plan was in action.

"Well I heard from my daughter who you placed thousands of miles away from me." Pacey said, worry filling his voice.

"Yeah, she called me too. She sounded a little sick." Doug smiled to himself. If he was going to get Pacey to California he had to make him more worried than he was already. Although he was a little surprised that Pacey hadn't booked his ticket to California already.

"Really? She left me a message. She sounded sick to me too. I was ready to cancel all my meetings and just fly to California, but then I decided it was stupid." Pacey said, looking for Doug's agreement. Instead he said the last thing Pacey expected.

"Stupid? I don't know. She sounded like she needed someone." Doug tried to sound worried, even though he knew Jo wasn't really sick.

"Really? So you think I should go?" Pacey's voice was full of disbelief.

"Well. No. Maybe it is a little irrational. But then again, I remember how much Jo always needs you when she's sick." Doug played out, laughing on the inside. He knew that little push was all Pacey needed to rush off.

"Uh, Okay Doug. I think I'll do the rational thing and just let her deal with it herself. She's a big girl now." Pacey said, trying to sound convincing.

"Bye Pacey."

-&-

Pacey quickly stuffed different clothes into his suitcase. He had cancelled his meetings and booked the first plane to California. He knew that Jo really needed him. If it was a bad idea then Doug would've surely talked him out of it, but he didn't.

He didn't think as far as actually getting there but he knew that Jo needed him. She never got better unless he was there. He would make her feel better. He didn't know how the camp was treating the children. She could get sick so easily.

He was sure now, Jo needed her Daddy. She needed to be looked after properly. He gathered a few more things and stuffed them into his suitcase. He would be there before Jo knew it.

-&-

Joey watched as the children played in the gardens surrounding the camp. They had an hour of free time where they were allowed to do what they wanted on the grounds. Joey was keeping an eye out for them, but she couldn't help focusing on one particular child.

Jo was being chased by a little boy who was slightly older than she was. She was running around screaming and laughing. Joey couldn't help but smile. She couldn't believe Jo was Pacey and Andie's daughter. It had been such a shock to her.

She had thought she left that behind her. The memory of Pacey was supposed to be firmly locked away in her heart, never to resurface. She thought that finding Pacey again was impossible, and she wasn't sure she really wanted it to happen. But then Jo was sent to her. Pacey and Andie's daughter just ending up in this camp seemed so unreal to her.

From the moment she saw Jo, there was something about her that made Joey particularly interested in her. But she hadn't known what it was. Now, as she spent more time with Jo, she realized just how much like Pacey she was. She had the same mischievous look in her eyes, the same cheeky smile.

So many things about her just screamed out Pacey's name. And Joey didn't know how to handle that. Every time she looked at Jo she was reminded of the way Pacey spoke, the way he smiled, the way he seemed so interested in what she was saying. She was reminded of all those things that made her love Pacey so much.

And she was reminded of Andie, of Pacey and Andie, the reason she had left them to start with. She couldn't quite believe Andie was dead. She had only known her a few months but they had been friends. Joey had left because she wanted Pacey and Andie to be able to be happy together. She didn't want to be jealous or get in the way of their love, because she knew it was real. It was sad that that love was taken away from them. It was sad that Pacey had lost his wife, and Jo had lost her mother.

She watched as Jo laughed uncontrollably while the little boy was tickling her. Joey had grown so attached to Jo, maybe it was just because Jo was such a great kid, or maybe because she was Pacey's. But whatever it was Joey knew she was a great kid.

She had thought about it all night and finally decided that she wouldn't make a big deal about it. It would be better if she just didn't think about Pacey. She was going to get through camp, and then she would move on with her life, and marry Dawson. Jo would return home to Pacey. Nothing had to change.

-&-

Pacey got off the plane in California after a restless and long flight. All he wanted to do now was get to his little girl. He got in a cab and was taken straight to the camp. Not really thinking about it, he walked into the camp, looking for some sign of Jo.

He walked towards the main buildings and he could hear some noise coming from one of them so he headed towards it. Without even thinking about it, he burst into the room.

"Joey!" The room stood still. Both Joey and Jo looked up. They had been sitting together at the far end of the room. Joey had been showing Jo the fine art of decoupage. Jo smiled at her Dad, but Joey just stood still, frozen.

Pacey paused in the doorway. His bag slowly dropped out of his hand. He couldn't quite believe it. Joey Potter was standing in front of him. She really was standing there. So much the same, and at the same time so different.

Joey stood nervously. Pacey Witter was really standing in front of her. She couldn't quite believe it. Sure she wasn't as shocked as he was because she knew he was Jo's Dad. But he was still not supposed to be here. He wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't supposed to see him. Her best friend was standing in front of her and she had no idea what to do.

Pacey walked further into the room. Not knowing quite what to do, Joey approached him, smiling nervously.

"Uh…hi?" Pacey muttered.

They stood in front of each other, not sure whether to shake hands, or hug, or kiss? The room seemed to be going in slow motion and the awkward moment extending. Finally Pacey pulled Joey into a hug, feeling at peace for the first time in a very long time.

They pulled away and looked around at all the young children staring at them. They hadn't even noticed anyone else since they set eyes on each other. Joey laughed nervously and gestured to Pacey to leave the room.

As they exited, Jo smiled to herself. Her part was done, now it was up to them to realize how much they needed each other.

-&-

Pacey sat outside on the campgrounds staring up at the stars. Joey had to go and take care of camp stuff and they didn't really have a chance to say anything to each other.

Oddly enough, Jo said she was okay and it was only a sneeze. Pacey laughed at how he always came running whenever the littlest thing was wrong. But he couldn't help it. However, he had been so stunned he had forgotten about Jo's sickness at first.

Joey Potter was really here. He had to keep telling himself that. He couldn't really believe it. He spent so long trying to find her, he didn't think they would ever meet again. She was still his best friend in the world, and he didn't even know her anymore.

She looked so different. When he walked in she was wearing a light blue, knee length skirt with a plain top. Her hair was even longer than before, and the light make up on her face made her look even more beautiful than he remembered.

"Pacey?" She interrupted his thoughts, coming and sitting next to him outside. He smiled at her nervously. They sat together for a little while, neither knowing what to say.

"Joey, are you feeling okay?" Pacey's tone was serious. Jo looked at him quizzically.

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's just that you looks so beautiful." Pacey laughed and Joey hit him lightly, smiling. "What's with the skirt thing?" Joey just shrugged. They sat in silence for a few more minutes. They never thought they would come to a point where they didn't know what to say to each other, yet here it was.

"I didn't know about Andie," Jo said finally. "I'm sorry."

"How would you know?" Pacey's voice was filled with sadness. "You just disappeared on me."

"We changed houses."

"Did you change your friends too?" Pacey asked. He tried to keep the biting tone out of his voice but the pain was too much. "When I needed my best friend in the entire world, she wasn't there."

Joey didn't know what to say to that. Truthfully there was nothing she could say. She wished she could've been there for him when Andie had died, but she wasn't. She wasn't at their wedding, or at Jo's birth or at Andie's funeral. She had missed it all.

"You didn't remarry?" She asked finally.

"I didn't find you remember, or we could've gotten married as planned." Pacey laughed lightly.

"You didn't get married either?" Pacey said. He had heard some children calling her Miss Potter, so he knew she wasn't married.

"You were there remember. No one else would marry me." Joey laughed, remembering conversations she had with him so long ago.

They sat looking up at the sky and suddenly something flew by them in the night sky.

"Jo, look shooting star." Pacey said.

"You still believe in that?"

"Nah, of course not." Pacey said nervously. "You?"

"Nah." Jo said laughing. Quickly they both turned away and made a wish, still believing that wishes on shooting stars came true.

"Well I guess I better be going." Jo stood up and turned to walk away.

"Jo?"

"Hmm?"

"What did you wish for?" Pacey asked. Joey just smiled at him. It was weird how they still seemed to know each other so well. Just sitting with him, it felt like they hadn't been apart at all.

"Goodnight Pacey." Jo smiled one last time before walking off.

"Night."

-&-

" _'Goodnight Pacey.' 'Night.'_ Ugh. This is not good." Jo muttered to herself, pacing up and down in her cabin. "Why are they acting so polite? They are supposed to be best friends."

She couldn't believe how they had been so cautious and awkward when they spoke to each other. This was definitely not the Pacey and Joey her mom had told her about. Her plan was not going to succeed if left like this. They were acting like strangers.

She needed some help. She didn't know what to do anymore.

"Mom. Please help me. I need something from you. I need your help. I can't do this on my own." Jo asked. Suddenly the wind from outside blew a picture off of Jo's bedside table. She went to pick it up.

It was a picture of Pacey posing with a basketball in one hand.

"Basketball!" Jo exclaimed as an idea hit her. "Thanks Mom." She would make sure Pacey and Joey got together if it was the last thing she did. And she knew just how to do it.

-&\- -&\- -&-

Part Nine "Not So Different"

The peaceful silence of their free leisure time was broken when they heard a lot of noise coming from the basketball courts. A huge crowd of children were gathered around screaming and shouting at something. Pacey and Joey rushed over to see what all the commotion was. As the children cleared to let them through they found Jo fighting with a boy. They were shouting and pulling each other's hair. Pacey rushed over and pulled Jo back while Joey held the boy.

"Jo, what are you doing? Stop it!" Pacey said as Jo tried to wrestle out of his grasp.

"Dan, you don't hit girls. Stop that." Joey scolded Dan who was still trying to grab at Jo's clothes.

"She started it!" Dan screamed like a typical eight-year old.

"What?" Jo shrieked. "I just told him that girls can play basketball too and he said…"

"Girls don't know how to play." Dan filled in, smirking.

Pacey held his daughter back and looked at her.

"He told you the truth and you started fighting with him?" Pacey said calmly and all the young boys cheered while the girls all booed at Pacey.

"The truth? Didn't Miss Joey beat you in basketball everyday back in college?" Jo said smirking.

"Hey!" Pacey quickly covered Jo's mouth. All the girls cheered for Joey. She just laughed. "Shhhh. She didn't beat me every day, just sometimes, okay?"

"Pacey, you lost every day." Joey stated. Pacey laughed nervously.

"I don't think you remember correctly Jo. You lost every day." Pacey said, knowing he was lying.

"Pacey, you lost all the time." Joey said letting go of Dan and moving forward.

"No, Joey." Pacey said coming forward.

"Yes, Pacey!"

"Don't lie in front of the kids, it's not good for them."

"What? I'm lying?" Joey couldn't believe what he was saying.

"Of course, liar." Pacey said, getting angry himself.

"What!!!"

"Yeah. Yeah. What?" Pacey smirked.

"The truth is you could only win if you cheated."

"Hey! Don't call me a cheater!"

"You are a cheater! Cheater, cheater, cheater." Joey chanted, acting like a child herself.

"Joey!"

"Fine, fine, fine." Joey said, composing herself. "I challenge you. Right here, right now. Play with me." Pacey laughed as well as all the little boys.

"Don't be silly, Joey."

"What's the matter? Are you scared Pacey?" Joey smirked and all the little girls laughed.

"Hey, hey, hey." Pacey said, quieting the cheering. "Pacey Witter isn't scared of anyone."

"We'll see." Joey smirked.

"We will see." Pacey said.

He led the boys away to one side of the court and got ready to play. He undid the top button of his shirt and shook himself out to prepare. Joey walked to her side of the court with Jo and the other girls. She tied her long hair up, getting it out of her face. Pacey watched her pull her hair up and he could almost picture 19 year old Joey Potter getting ready to play him, just like she had done every day back in college.

They walked towards the middle of the court, looking into each other's eyes.

"You'll lose again, Pace." Joey said softly. Pacey shook his head smiling at her.

"Nope. I've been practicing for ten years without you, I won't lose." Joey rose her eyebrows. Maybe she would have some competition now. After all she wasn't the tomboy she had once been and she hadn't played for years.

Pacey started to play, moving towards the net with the ball. As Joey tried to block him they ended up getting too close. It never bothered her when they played before but now it was so different. They weren't what they used to be to each other. Pacey dodged Joey and managed to get one in.

"Haha. Come on, don't give up…" Pacey bounced the ball with a cocky smile. Joey just rolled her eyes and waited for a second. She pulled at his tie suddenly and took the ball off him.

As Joey headed for the net Pacey followed her quickly. While trying to steal the ball from her, he put his hand on Joey's waist causing her to drop the ball suddenly and Pacey quickly retrieved it. He winked at her and she looked around, slightly embarrassed that his touch had caused her to jump like that.

They continued to play, while the kids stood on the sidelines and cheered. By the end of the game Joey had realized how out of practice she was. Pacey had won by 3 points.

"I told you I wouldn't lose Jo." Pacey said, smiling at her.

"Okay, okay. I guess you are the King." Joey admitted.

"I may be the King but you'll always be my Queen." Pacey said, looking into her eyes before the little boys attacked him cheering about how right they had been.

Jo stood on the sidelines and watched as Pacey turned back and smiled at Joey. They just needed to be reminded of what they used to be to each other, and she would be the one to help them remember.

-&-

Pacey had called in to work and managed to work things out so he could work by phone and email. He had found Joey after so long and he didn't want to leave just yet. He didn't really want to leave her ever again. But they had both moved forward. They had totally different lives now. She had her own life that he wasn't a part of and that had been her choice.

He had spoken to the camp director and was allowed to stay at the camp and help out with the other camp counselors. He was able to be with Joey and Jo all day.

As the days passed he spent more and more time with Joey. They went for walks around the campgrounds in their free time. They talked about everything and anything. They caught up on things they had missed out on in each other's lives.

Every time he looked at Joey he was reminded of how it had been in college. How she had been there every step of the way. How he had loved her so much. How he had depended on her for everything. She was the person he didn't think he could live without, until he had been forced to. When she had left him he had been left with this empty space. This void that no one, not even Andie, could fill. There hadn't been a day that he had stopped thinking about her.

When Joey looked at Pacey she saw the same crazy guy that she knew in college. The same guy who had annoyed the hell out of her. The same guy who had comforted her when things got rough. The same guy she had given her heart to and had never been able to get it back. She had been forced to leave him behind so long ago, but she had never moved on. She had always felt that she was missing his presence. Little things that someone said or did would always remind her of him. Remind her how hard it was living without him.

Having him with her every day now made her feel so happy. But every time she looked at him she couldn't help thinking about how much she still loved him. And then she couldn't help feeling guilty.

They often locked eyes, knowing that what they were feeling was something that they had both been missing for so long. When they looked into each other's eyes they felt that special feeling inside, a bit like butterflies, that only one person could give you. The feeling you get when you see the one for you. The one who would always have your heart even if you didn't realize it before.

-&-

Pacey picked up his cell phone and dialed the familiar number. Joey had taken a group of kids on a nature walk and he was left at the camp supervising a group of boys who were playing basketball.

"Hello." Doug answered his house phone.

"Hey Doug."

"Pacey, hey. How are you?" Doug asked.

"I'm good. I'm having a great time." Pacey had spoken to Doug a few times since arriving at camp and told him about Joey. He hadn't told him about his sudden weird feelings for her. Or the way everything about her reminded him of their past.

"How are the Joeys?" Doug joked.

"They're both fine. Jo is having the time of her life. She loves the whole camp thing. And well Joey and I have just been catching up." Pacey said hesitantly.

"Catching up?"

"Yeah. I well…We were really close back in college. It's just weird seeing her again after so long." Pacey tried to explain. It was hard to make Doug understand because he had never told Doug about how much Joey leaving had affected him. After she left he had just made himself forget about her and didn't mention her again. He just thought it was easier that way.

"It would be. She was your best friend and then you lost touch. It's bound to be weird. Just don't push her away because of any weird feelings."

"Weird feelings?"

"You know, like guilt. Don't feel guilty for caring about Joey." Doug tried to give advice without putting his foot in it.

"Doug." Pacey sounded suspicious. "There's nothing between me and Joey." He said, although he didn't know why he felt like he was lying.

"Sure. Just don't eliminate any possibilities, that's all I'm saying."

"Whatever." Pacey rolled his eyes. Doug was always trying to set him up; it didn't matter who it was with.

"I gotta go Pacey. Give Jo my love."

"I will. Bye Dougie."

-&-

Joey sat with the children in the mess hall. She was trying to quiet them and get them to sit down.

"Come on kids. All the moms are complaining that you guys don't write to them. I want everyone to sit and write to their moms right now." Joey passed the paper along to the children. Jo came up behind her and Joey gave her a piece of paper without thinking. "Jo you write to your mom…" Jo just looked down and the paper sadly as Joey trailed off. Jo turned and ran out of the mess hall quietly.

Joey didn't know what to do. Way to put her foot in it. She got up and followed Jo outside. She found the little girl sitting on the front steps clutching a picture of Andie in her hands.

"Hi Andie." Joey said, taking a seat next to Jo and talking to the picture. "I know that if you were here today you'd be really proud to say 'Joey is my daughter' because she's really a great kid." Jo looked up at Joey, trying not to cry.

"And why wouldn't she be? Her name is Joey after all." Joey put her arm around Jo, trying to console the little girl.

"But you know what? The best thing about her is that she's just like you. The same eyes, the same face…She's just like you."

Jo turned and hugged Joey, crying her eyes out. Joey just held her tight, trying to contain her own tears. The news of Andie's death had been so shocking to her. However much she had loved Pacey, and however little time Joey had known Andie, she knew that Andie was a good person and would have made a great wife and mother.

Pacey stood in the doorway watching them. He wiped the tear that threatened to fall. Even now he still missed Andie. And he would miss her every day. Every time he looked at his little girl. He could see how much she needed a mother. But now watching Joey holding his daughter he felt guilty because for the first time he could see someone other than Andie taking on that role.

-&-

Dawson turned the page of his engagement album, pausing to admire the beautiful pictures of Joey in her gorgeous dress. Bessie was sitting next to him sorting through the tons of pictures that had been taken and was trying to put them in some sort of order.

"Look at this picture." Dawson said pointing to one of him and Joey. "I don't know how someone can look so good."

"Yeah, Joey does look great." Bessie said, pausing to look at it.

"Joey? Oh yeah, I suppose she looks okay too." Dawson joked.

"Yeah, yeah, like you didn't notice her. You don't have to lie to me. I know you miss her so much that you keep yourself occupied by looking at pictures of her."

"I know." Dawson admitted. "What can I do? That sister of your makes me crazy."

"Dawson, the wedding's not until December. Why don't you go to London and work on that movie you were telling me about?" Bessie suggested.

"No. I'm not going anywhere!"

"Why not?"

"Because I don't trust that sister of yours." Dawson said grinning. "Do you know how hard it was to get her to say yes to marry me? I'm not going anywhere until we say those vows."

"You're so crazy. You really love her don't you?"

"Nah…" Dawson joked, then looked at Bessie. "Yeah." Bessie smiled, looking through some more pictures. "But I get this feeling…" Dawson's tone suddenly turned serious. "I get this feeling that she doesn't love me."

Bessie looked up, shocked at what Dawson had said. She knew that Joey's heart was never really with Dawson but she didn't know he knew.

"She doesn't does she?" He said it like he was okay that she didn't love him, which maybe it was. Because Dawson had known she never loved him from the start, he had just been good at convincing himself he was wrong. "Hey, sister-in-law, she doesn't love me does she?"

"Dawson…" Bessie quickly got up, avoiding Dawson's eyes. She wished she could tell him whether Joey did or didn't love him, but it wasn't her place to say. And she had a sinking feeling that it was the latter. "You've gone crazy." She said, quickly leaving the room.

Dawson sighed. "She didn't answer the question." He said to himself sadly.

-&-

The children gathered around the campfire into two groups. On one team it was Pacey, Joey and a mixture of kids and on the other team were two other counselors with Jo and some more children.

"Okay, the game is very simple." One of the counselors got up to explain the rules. "We are playing charades. One team gives the name of a film or a phrase to one person on the opposite team and they have to act it out to their own team. You can't talk or mouth or you'll be disqualified."

Joey stood up to play first. A counselor from the opposing team, Rachael, whispered the phrase into her ear. She turned shocked.

"I can't do that! Don't you think it's a little risqué for ten year olds?"

"No. I think they can handle it. And you have to do it." Rachael said, grinning. Joey frowned and stood in front of her team self-consciously.

"Okay, okay it goes like this…"

"You're cheating Miss Joey. You're not allowed to talk!" Jo screamed and her team started booing.

"Okay, okay I'll do it. Wait." Joey stood, not knowing what to do.

She sighed and then slowly started moving her hips in a seductive manner. Pacey covered the eyes of the little boy who was sitting next to him. She danced to imaginary music, blowing a kiss to her team. Pacey just watched amazed at his best friend.

"Dirty dancing!" A ten-year-old boy called out.

"Yep, that's it." Joey stopped and came to sit down next to Pacey. Pacey just stared at her.

"That was uh…very sexy." Pacey closed his eyes regretting having said that.

"Uh…thanks." Joey said, blushing.

A little boy from the other team got up and was given a phrase to act out. Unfortunately for Pacey and Joey it took Jo's team all of ten seconds to guess the phrase. It was quickly back to Pacey and Joey's team and Pacey stood up to play.

"I love you." Jo walked up to her Dad and whispered the phrase to him.

"What? That's stupid Jo." Pacey said.

"No it's not. It's a phrase Dad and you have to do it."

"Fine, fine." Pacey looked at his team, specifically Joey and didn't know what to do. He lifted three fingers up to them.

"Three. Three words?" Joey asked and Pacey nodded to her. Pacey didn't know what else to do. How do you act out those words?

"I…uh…I…" After standing there doing nothing and getting booed at for a few minutes a boy on his team, Mike, walked up to the front.

"Tell me the phrase." He instructed.

"I love you." Pacey whispered to Mike.

Mike took Pacey's hand in his and pointed towards himself. Pacey didn't know what he was doing. He then put his hand on his heart and then pointed towards Pacey.

"Do it again, Mike." Joey said.

"No, no. He's doing it wrong." Pacey insisted.

Mike pointed to himself, then put his hand on his heart and then pointed to Pacey.

"I love you!" Joey shouted. "Uh…yeah. That's it." Pacey said, looking embarrassed.

"You couldn't even do that much?" Joey asked him.

"I guess I couldn't."

"If you had, we would've won." Pacey smiled sheepishly. They looked into each other's eyes, not being able to look away. Why did this conversation seem to be about something else? If he had told her he loved her so long ago, maybe they would be together now. If he had realized he loved her so many years ago maybe their lives wouldn't be so messed up.

Before they could find any answers to their questions it began raining hard.

"Oh my god. Quick everyone into the mess hall." Joey called, motioning for all the kids to run indoors. She turned around to get some more kids and found Pacey just standing there enjoying the rain. She grabbed an umbrella off of someone and walked towards him.

"Pacey what are you doing?" Pacey grinned and took her hand quickly.

"Come with me Jo, I want to show you something." He pulled her away from the mess hall quickly.

Pacey led her into a little sheltered area near the woods. Joey quickly started drying her hair that was now soaking wet. The rain had crept up on them so suddenly. Her dress was drenched and was becoming see-through.

Pacey looked at Joey and held out his hand to her, silently asking for a dance. Joey rose her eyebrows like he was crazy.

"There's no music." She whispered. She didn't know why only a whisper felt appropriate at that point. It felt like a strange spell had been cast over them.

Pacey ignored her protest and took her into his arms. They started to dance. Pacey pulled her close, putting his hand on the small of her back. She seemed to fit right into his body. Just as if they belonged together. They both got lost in each other. They didn't even think about what they were doing. They were dancing like two lovers.

Joey moved out and Pacey pulled her close. She traced his face with her hands. Running her hands over his face. The face she had been waiting to see again for so long. Her fingers ran over his lips and he closed his eyes, not believing this was happening.

Just as she was going to move her hand and kiss him, she noticed the diamond glittering on her finger. The ring that Dawson had given her reminding her that this was wrong.

She looked into Pacey's eyes and pulled away suddenly, breaking the spell between them. She looked at him and then her hand before turning and running away. She couldn't do this. She couldn't be with Pacey. This was so wrong.

She ran through the woods not knowing where she was going. Finally she stopped and leaned against a tree, crying silently. She felt him come up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I love you. I love you so much." She said, admitting it to him for the first time. She turned around to face him.

"Hey, I love you too." Dawson's voice echoed in her ear. She looked up, shocked to be face to face with her fiancé.

-&\- -&\- -&-

Part Ten "It's Not Supposed to Happen This Way"

Pacey entered the mess hall looking distraught. He was soaking wet but he didn't seem to care. He looked around, hoping Joey was there. He couldn't believe she had run out so quickly. He couldn't believe he had nearly kissed her.

His emotions were running wild. He didn't know what he was feeling anymore. He just knew that when he was with Joey everything felt right. He felt like they belonged. Ever since Andie had died he had never looked at anyone like that again. He never thought of being with anyone and he was fine with that. But Joey was so different.

She made him laugh and smile. She was his best friend, even after all these years. But now he was realizing that there was so much more to Joey. So much he loved about her. So much that he had always loved about her. He had just never realized it was that kind of love.

Joey was everything that his idea of love was about. She was his friend. She was his best friend and always had been. She was a great person. She made him feel good. She made him feel happy even when it seemed like there was nothing to be happy about. She had always been there for him when he had needed her.

He wasn't sure that he could afford to let her go again. Everything he had been missing for ten years was wrapped up in her.

"Have you seen Joey?" He asked Rachael, one of the counselors.

"She's right there." Rachael said pointing to his daughter who was playing with some kids.

"Not that one, the other one." Just as the words left his mouth, Joey walked into the mess hall looking disturbed. She walked towards him slowly, not being able to meet his eyes properly.

"Pacey I…"

"Joey!" Pacey cut her off. "I wanted to talk to you." He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated that he wasn't able to find the words to say to her. "I wanted to talk then but then you ran off…" He trailed off noticing someone walk in behind Joey.

"God it's raining really hard." Dawson commented walking in. Noticing Pacey he smiled at him and shook his hand. "Hi I'm Dawson."

"Dawson…" Pacey looked at Joey, trying to figure out who this guy was. She just looked down and avoided his eyes.

"Yeah. I'm Joey's fiancé." And once again Pacey's world fell apart. If he had been having any second thoughts about his feelings for Joey that cleared it right up. Joey was engaged? She was no longer available so it didn't matter if he was in love with her or not.

Jo looked up from where she was playing after hearing what Dawson had said and walked over to her Dad. She knew that Joey was engaged, but she had forgotten about Joey's fiancé because it was so obvious to everyone how much Joey loved Pacey and how much Pacey loved Joey. This could not be happening.

-&-

Pacey looked up at the net and aimed the ball. He took his shot and the ball went straight in. He didn't notice someone come up behind him as he continued to play.

"You're really good." Dawson commented.

"I'm not that good. I've been beaten before." Pacey said, not really wanting to talk to Joey's fiancé. He only just found out that Joey even had a fiancé. Why hadn't she told him?

"By who?"

"Joey."

"Your little girl?" Dawson laughed.

"No. Your Joey."

"Joey Potter? Playing basketball. No way." Dawson laughed. Pacey just nodded his head and continued to play. "So you guys were college friends right? What was she like back then?"

"She was…she was great. She was always fighting with me and joking around. She kept me in line. She helped me with work and sports. She was always there for you when you needed her…" Pacey stopped, realizing he had gone on a bit long.

"What kind of a friend are you? You didn't come to the engagement." Dawson joked.

"I didn't know there was an engagement." Pacey said.

"There was. With a lot of difficulty. The wedding's in December…. I think." Dawson said, not even sure.

"Congratulations." Pacey said finally.

"Thanks. Well, I have to get back to the hotel. See you around." Dawson said leaving.

Pacey sighed shooting the ball again. He had always believed that you could only be in love once in your life. And he had always believed that love was friendship. Now he was starting to realize that maybe that one person had always been Joey, he just hadn't realized it before.

But now it was too late. Joey was engaged. She had moved on. How could he expect to walk into her life ten years later and just be with her? Well he never really expected to fall for her in the first place. But now he had and it was wrong. He had to let her go. He had to let her go again.

-&-

Joey walked into the mess hall, surprised to see a handful of the camp children holding balloons up. They all ran towards her and began singing.

"Congratulations, and celebrations. We wish Miss Joey a very happy wedded life." Joey was so shocked. She had hardly had enough time to absorb that Dawson was even here. After Dawson left the camp last night she had gone to bed not knowing what to think or feel.

Pacey was here. Pacey had nearly kissed her. And she had wanted him to. She had always wanted to. Loving Pacey was something that came naturally to her. She knew she loved Pacey. And yesterday she had been ready to admit it to him.

But instead Dawson showed up and threw her world out of balance. He made her remember that she was engaged. And she didn't want to remember that anymore.

She felt like crying as the children sang. Just as she was wondering who put them up to the singing, they ran off and Pacey appeared, smiling and clapping as if nothing had happened.

"Why didn't you tell me you were getting married?" He asked, in as cheerful voice as he could muster. "Congratulations." It pained him to say it but he didn't want Joey to see that. She was engaged and happy. She had moved on and met someone. She deserved to be happy without his feelings holding her back. "You're happy aren't you?"

"Are you happy to hear I'm engaged?" Her voice was half upset, half-curious. She didn't know how he could be smiling and congratulating her after what had nearly happened between them.

"I'm really happy."

"Then how can I be happy?" She asked.

"I don't understand."

"Something's happening Pacey. You won't understand." Joey said, reminding him of the words he had once told her. That feeling you get when you're in love that he had once tried to explain to her. She wanted desperately to spark his memory and make him realize that there was more going on between them than he was admitting.

She looked at him again and then walked off towards the children.

"Something is happening Joey. You won't understand." He said to her, even though she couldn't hear him.

-&-

Dawson sat with Jo in the mess hall as she drew some pictures. He was having fun hanging with the children at the camp. He had been allowed to come in and play with some of the children while he was at the camp visiting Joey.

Jo looked up at Dawson, smiling at him. When she had first found out Dawson was here she had been upset. But she had made a promise to her Mom and she wasn't going to break it. And on top of that she saw how happy her Dad was when he was with Joey. Even though it was hard to see her Dad loving someone other than her Mom she knew it was for the best. And she had grown to love Joey herself.

Everything her Mom had told her about Joey in the letter and everything she had seen made the little girl fall in love with Joey too. She had always missed having a mother and even though Joey could never take Andie's place, it was nice to have someone.

So she decided that Dawson was just going to have to find someone else. Being an eight-year-old she had convinced herself that if she only tried she would be able to make Dawson see sense and not want to marry Joey. She just had to convince him that Joey wasn't right for him. That couldn't be too hard could it?

"Uncle Dawson, can I ask you a question?" She asked, putting on her overly sweet voice she always used on her Dad when she wanted something.

"Sure." Dawson said, leaning closer to the girl.

"Why are you marrying Miss Joey?" Dawson laughed at the strange question.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Look. It's very simple." Jo started, as if Dawson wouldn't understand what she was saying.

"Ok, explain."

"You're so handsome." Dawson laughed at the girl. "So good looking." She stressed, giggling.

"Aww, thank you so much."

"But Miss Joey doesn't look that good. Very bad." Dawson smiled at Jo, pretending to really ponder her words.

"You know, you're right. She's a bit tall, she's fat, she's crazy…" Dawson joked.

"Yeah." Jo agreed quickly. "You can have anyone you want."

"Really? Will you marry me then?" Dawson asked.

"Me?" She pulled back, not getting that he was joking. "No! No! No! No! No! No!"

"Why? Am I that bad?" Dawson laughed lightly. "Okay, well you're going to have to find me a nice girl then." Dawson said rationally.

"Found one." Jo beamed.

"Who?" Jo quickly dug in her bag and pulled out a poster.

"Her." She said, pointing to Toni Adams, her favorite children's show host.

"Her? That Toni Adams show girl?" Jo nodded enthusiastically. "So what's going to happen to Miss Joey?" Dawson said, playing along. "You'll have to find her someone too."

"Found him." Jo whispered quietly.

"Already?" Dawson looked surprised, not expecting that.

"Shall I tell you?" She asked, really wanting to tell him to leave Joey for her Dad.

"No, no, no." Dawson protested, not wanting to know.

"I'll tell you." Jo insisted.

"No, no."

"No, No. I'll tell you."

Before Dawson could protest any further, Joey burst into the room, not looking happy.

"Dawson, I want to go back home tonight." She looked at Jo and then looked away, wanting to cry.

-&-

Jo ran through the camp, wiping her tears as she ran. She couldn't believe this was happening. Joey couldn't leave. She had to be with Pacey. Jo needed to complete her mother's wishes. She couldn't let Joey go home with Dawson. That's not how it was meant to be.

She ran all the way to her room and grabbed the picture of Andie sitting on her bedside. She hugged it tight and cried, not knowing what else to do.

Pacey came into the room and saw his daughter crying. He felt so bad. He may have been spending more time with Joey lately, but he had noticed his daughters' efforts in pushing him towards Joey even more. He didn't understand quite why though.

But he knew Joey had been the closest thing to a Mom Jo had ever had. The first the little girl ever had and now she was going. Joey was leaving them both to start a new life. He knew how attached Jo had become to Joey in just a short time.

He went up to his daughter and bent down. He kissed her forehead lightly, not needing to say a word. He was afraid that if he spoke, he would start crying too.

-&-

Dawson sat in his car just outside the camp waiting for Joey to say goodbye to her friends. She went up to the children and said bye, stopping at Jo. She bent down and hugged her, wiping away the girl's tears. Joey was finding it hard to hold back her own tears. Jo held on to Joey, not wanting to let go. One of the other counselors helped Joey out by holding Jo back a little.

She got up and took one final look around, particularly looking for a face that she couldn't see but wanted to more than anything. She sighed, realizing that he probably wasn't coming. She turned to walk away and then his voice stopped her.

"Joey." She stopped and turned around to face him. The tears they were both holding back glistening in their eyes. He walked up to her slowly and took her hand. "When you left me last time, I didn't get a chance to get you anything. I…I just wanted to give you something now because you're about to start a new life." He took a small band, much like the ones that used to be sold in college out of his pocket and put it in her hand. "I know that you and Pacey will be very happy together."

Joey hitched a breath, trying to keep her tears in.

"Dawson…. It's Dawson." She reminded him. He nodded, trying to accept that. He hadn't even realized he made a mistake.

She looked at him one more time, trying to take it all in. The lump in her throat only seemed to get bigger. Pacey looked away, fighting to not cry.

After what seemed like an eternity she turned and walked away. Leaving him once again. Leaving him to start her own life. Just as she had left him to start his own last time.

-&\- -&\- -&-

Part Eleven "The Silent I Love You"

Joey was quiet the entire journey, occasionally wiping tears that just weren't stopping. Dawson cast worried glances at his fiancé but said nothing, not wanting to delve into the reason for her sadness. Joey couldn't believe she had done it again. She'd left the love of her life behind…again. And it hurt almost as much as it had the first time. Maybe even more.

But she knew that she and Pacey had no future. She was engaged. Dawson loved her more than anything and she couldn't throw that away. And Pacey hadn't seemed too broken up about her being engaged either. Maybe she had mis-read his feelings. Joey would always and forever be just a friend to Pacey. Nothing more.

She had been so lost in thought, so lost in thinking about Pacey that she didn't even realize when they arrived home. Dawson walked around to her side and opened her door and she walked passed him, and into her house without saying a word. She knew in the back of her mind that Dawson had no clue why she was acting like this, but right now she had no energy to preserve Dawson's feelings.

She walked passed a surprised Bessie who hadn't been expecting Joey home for another week and went straight to her room.

"Joey…" Bessie called after her sister but she didn't even listen. Dawson followed inside shortly after carrying Joey's bags. "What's wrong with her? And what is she doing home already?"

"I don't know. She just said she wanted to come home. Maybe she was feeling home sick." Dawson suggested, knowing in his heart he was lying, but not wanting to think about it being anything else. "I think she misses the kids though. You know how she loves them."

"Yeah, I guess." Bessie agreed. "So you went to camp, huh? I knew you couldn't stay away." Bessie grinned, gesturing for Dawson to come and sit down. "Meet any interesting kids?"

"Yeah." Dawson smiled, thinking of little Jo. "And I met one of Joey's old college friends."

"Really?" Bessie looked surprised. Joey didn't speak of her college friends much, not since she had left BU. "Who?"

"Pacey. Pacey Witter." Dawson said. A strange look crossed Bessie's face before returning to normal, a look that didn't go unnoticed by Dawson.

"That must have been nice." Bessie said off-handedly, knowing exactly who Pacey was and what he meant to her sister.

-&-

"Joey?" Bessie walked into her sister's room tentatively, not wanting to wake her. Joey had gone to bed after returning from camp and Bessie had thought better than to disturb her.

"Hey Bess." Joey sat up in bed.

"I brought you some coffee." Bessie gave her sister the cup and sat next to her on the bed. Joey took a sip and smiled.

"Thanks." There was silence for a few seconds before Bessie got up the courage to say what she was thinking.

"I heard you saw Pacey." Joey tensed, not wanting to talk about it.

She had never really told Bessie about what went on with Pacey. But after Joey returned home from BU and had stopped speaking about Pacey, who Bessie knew was Joey's best friend, Bessie had pretty much figured out that her sister's feelings had run much deeper than those of friendship. She knew something must have happened to make Joey drop out of BU and never mention Pacey's name again.

Joey didn't say anything for a long time. She just sat, sipping her coffee. Finally she turned to her sister and forced a smile.

"I want to get started on the wedding preparations. I don't want to wait anymore." She said, in a voice devoid of any emotion.

"I thought you wanted to wait until December. Until you had time to do more work on your art studio." Bessie understood what Joey was doing and she didn't think it was a good idea.

"There's no point waiting until December. The way I feel isn't going to change so it doesn't matter if the wedding is now or in December."

"But Joey…"

"Please Bess." Joey pleaded, not wanting to think about Pacey or what she was doing.

-&-

Pacey sat on the swing that overlooked his outdoor pool. Andie had bought the swing just after they had gotten married. It was like a hammock and just big enough for the two of them to snuggle on.

Pacey had just returned home from camp. After tucking Jo into bed he had walked outside and sat on the swing. He couldn't believe everything that had happened. It had been a week since Joey had left the camp, and he still felt so lost. He had tried convincing himself that letting her go had been the right thing to do, but somehow he knew it wasn't.

He felt guilty for thinking he had feelings for Joey, as if somehow he was being disrespectful to the memory of Andie. After Joey left he had been telling himself that he didn't have feelings for her and that he would be fine. But it wasn't that easy.

A single tear he refused to shed was present in his eyes and he didn't know what to do. He almost felt like he had when Andie had died. Losing the most important person in the world to him had broken him and his best friend hadn't been there to pick him up. Now it had happened again and his best friend was the one he was losing, he didn't think anything could pick him up from this.

He kept thinking about Andie. Telling himself he had done the right thing for everyone. Andie was his wife and no one could take her place. He didn't want anyone taking her place. But a little voice in his head, which sounded a lot like Andie's, kept telling him he was being stupid. Of course no one would take Andie's place, but that didn't mean he had to be alone for the rest of his life.

As he turned to look at the normally empty place next to him, he could see Andie sitting next to him. She was so real, smiling at him like she always had. She took his hand in hers and then pointed away from them out in the distance. Pacey looked up and was faced with an image of Joey standing in front of him, smiling at him, calling him to her.

Andie was telling him to let go of her. He could feel it in his heart. Andie would never want him to let go of his chance at happiness because of her. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to move forward without her.

He just wished it were that simple.

-&-

"Joey?" Dawson walked into his fiancé's room, tentatively looking around.

"In here." Joey called from her bed. Dawson walked further into the room, closing the door behind him. He smiled at Joey, who was just sitting on her bed.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay." The past week had past by in a blur. There had been so many last minute things to do for the wedding that there had been little time for much else. Much less spending time together.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." She smiled at Dawson, wanting all the pain to go away. Wanting the ache of wanting someone else to go away. She had been fine, she had been okay with marrying Dawson until she saw Pacey again. She just had to remember what that felt like.

"Everything's moving so fast." Dawson mused.

"I know." Joey agreed. Dawson looked at her far off expression, not knowing what he could do to make it okay. He sighed; knowing there was nothing he could do if he didn't know what was wrong. Maybe nothing was wrong and she was just tired. He got up and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll see you later then?" Joey nodded and Dawson walked out of the room.

Joey could hear the sound of people walking about the house, laughing and joking and celebrating. She felt detached from it, sitting alone in her room, wanting to escape. She was getting married tomorrow and nothing would change that. She would have to let go of Pacey once and for all.

She couldn't keep living in the past. She couldn't keep living a life where she clung to Pacey and a love she would never have. She knew what she had to do, and she knew she had to do it now, but somehow that didn't make it easier. And it didn't stop the tears from coming.

-&-

Pacey looked through the pictures he had of his college days. Pictures of him and Joey, and Andie. They had been so young then. Not knowing what lied ahead. He looked at Andie. He had convinced himself that he loved Andie in college and in a way he did. He would always love her.

But looking at Joey he was reminded of everything he believed love to be. It was her. In a way it always had been. He just never realized it.

He couldn't let her go. Maybe he was naive in thinking they were destined to be together, but he couldn't think of another reason for her to end up in his life again, just when he needed her to. He couldn't let her go.

Jo walked into her Dad's bedroom slowly and looked at his sad face. She felt like she had failed. Her Dad was more unhappy than he had ever been. He looked up at his daughter and smiled. She came and sat in his lap quietly.

"Let's go get her Dad." She whispered.

Pacey looked at his daughter and knew she had just said exactly what he wanted to do.

-&-

The day came without notice or permission. The day that she didn't want to face up to. The house was full of guests, laughter, and happiness. The wedding was taking place in Bessie's house. Joey didn't want anything big and her insistence of having the wedding straight away made it hard to get a place in the church. They had arranged it so that they could say their vows at an altar set up inside the large house.

Pacey entered the house, realizing that he did actually have the right address. He walked into the house clutching his daughter's hand. Trying to face that fact that he may have arrived too late. He was too late. Joey was getting married now. She was getting married today.

He walked into the house and then stopped, near the stairs, not knowing what to do. He knew he should just turn around and leave, but something kept him stuck in the very same spot. Doug, who had come with him for moral support said something to him but Pacey wasn't listening.

Bessie was rushing around the house when he caught her eye and she quickly stopped, instantly recognizing him from old college pictures. She stood in front of him, surprised that he was standing in front of her. She didn't quite know what to do, but she knew Pacey's arrival would have a significant impact on her sister's life.

"Uh….Hi." Pacey said nervously as he noticed Bessie stop in front of them.

"You're Pacey, right?" She asked to make sure, even though she knew she couldn't mistake him.

"Yeah. Joey and I are…" He trailed off, not knowing how to finish.

"I know."

"Joey's getting married?" He said it more to convince himself of the fact than as an actual question.

"Yeah…Uh Joey decided so quickly that I didn't get a chance to send out all the invites and…"

"Bessie we need you." An unfamiliar voice called from upstairs.

"I'm coming." She yelled in the direction of the stairs. Not sure exactly what she should do, Bessie invited them in. "Come in, sit down. I'll be right back." She said before rushing off.

Pacey smiled at Joey's sister not sure what he should do now either. Coming here had been a mistake. He should have never listened to his heart. He should have just stayed at home with his daughter. He looked down to Jo and then his heart dropped. Jo wasn't there.

"Joey!"

-&-

Joey looked out at the night sky from the balcony of her room. She was dressed in her white wedding dress, all ready to take the final step to become Mrs. Leery, but all she could hear was Pacey's voice.

"They say that if you wish on a shooting star, it'll definitely come true."

-&-

Dawson arrived at the house, smiling and laughing with his friends. As he walked into the house he was surprised to see Jo standing by the door, crying up at him. He tried to ignore the pleading look in the little girl's eyes, not wanting to see what she was trying to tell him.

-&-

"Joey!" Pacey opened one of the doors to a room upstairs, looking for his daughter. Bessie's house was quite big and he didn't know where she could have gone.

-&-

Joey continued to look out at the stars. How she wished for a shooting star now. Something to make everything right again. A wish for her to be someplace else, where everything was right.

-&-

"Joey!" Pacey searched another room but still no sign of Jo.

-&-

Dawson looked at the little girl crying in front of him and then tried to ignore her, walking past. She grabbed his hand, making him stop. He turned and looked at her and read something in her eyes that he had been avoiding for a long time.

-&-

"Joey." Pacey opened another set of doors and found Joey. Just not the one he was looking for. Or maybe she was. Joey stood there on the balcony staring at the person who had walked in, and he just stared back at her. Neither of them noticed the shooting star that passed behind them.

They looked at each other, and then looked away. She couldn't believe he was standing there. She didn't know why he was there or what was going to happen. Pacey tried to take a step back, but he couldn't move. He knew he should just turn around and not look back but his feet weren't moving.

Finally he came inside and walked up to her. She stared at him, confused. They looked at each other, both close enough to touch, but not moving any closer. Joey held her hand up to him, wanting to touch him, needing to convince herself he was real but he took the hand in his, struggling not to cry.

He took their joined hands and pointed to himself, all of his movements slow enough for her to understand. He then placed their hands over his heart and Joey hitched a breath, trying to keep the tears in. Finally he pointed to her. Silently telling her he loved her. They didn't need words anymore.

Joey couldn't control her emotions anymore and started to cry. He had needed to tell her. He had needed to tell her before he let her go. Because now he had to let her go. He had no place in her life anymore. He never really did. He had to walk out.

He looked at her one last time before silently walking away, leaving her standing there, alone. He stopped at the door and wiped his tears. Taking a deep breath to give him strength he started walking again, and didn't look back.

-&-

Pacey walked downstairs, still not sure what had gone on. Just knowing that he had to leave now. He tried to smile as he spotted his daughter safe, standing with Doug once again. He walked up to them and his brother gave him a look, which he just shrugged off. He pointed towards the door, signaling that it was time to go.

Before they made it outside, the room went quiet and everyone's attention focused on the stairs. He told himself not to look, but he couldn't help turning to where he knew Joey was being brought down.

He watched as she walked down the stairs arm in arm with Bodie. Joey looked at him and their eyes met. He tried to look away but he could see the love in her eyes. See what he was giving up. But he didn't want to see it. He couldn't let himself see it. He finally broke their eye contact, turning so he wouldn't have to watch.

Suddenly Joey stopped walking, not being able to take another step. She just stood there, motionless, crying silently.

"Joey…" Bodie urged her forward. "Joey come on, everyone is waiting." But she didn't answer, she couldn't answer.

Her heart was telling her she couldn't do this and right now that was all she was listening to.

Dawson looked over at Joey and his eyes narrowed. Suddenly he turned and walked towards her. He walked up the stairs and looked at her. He took her hand in his and she looked up at him, confused.

"I told you I'd drag you to the altar if I had to, didn't I?" He said harshly, looking into her eyes. Joey didn't know what to say. She didn't know what could make this right anymore. Before she had a chance to say anything he turned and walked her towards the altar, practically dragging her along because she had no strength or desire to move.

She continued to cry as she let herself be dragged towards the altar, not knowing what else to do. Suddenly she looked confused as Dawson walked them past where the Priest was standing and then let go of her suddenly.

"Dawson?" She looked at him, trying to read his eyes. His face softened and he just looked at Joey, tears hidden behind his eyes.

"You know, I've always wanted to see the love in your eyes that I have in mine. The love that you can tell is always there." He started. "I've yearned to see you look at me and just know that you love me." He paused for a second. "I saw that love today Joey. But it's not for me." Joey looked at him, confused.

"You're crazy Joey. You only ever loved him. Ever since you knew love, ever since you understood it. Pacey is your first true love Joey. And I know more than anyone how much that means." He took a deep breath, urging himself to go on.

He had always known Joey never loved him. And then at camp he found the reason why she had never loved him. She had always loved Pacey. Dawson just hadn't wanted to admit it to himself. But watching her look at Pacey with pure love on their wedding day just made him break, and he knew he couldn't go through with the wedding.

"And you were going to give that up for me. How can I come between a love that was never mine to start with?" Joey cried, not knowing how Dawson knew all of this and trying to understand what he was saying. He was telling her to go, telling her to be with Pacey.

"And besides," he smiled sadly. "I've been told that I'm so handsome I can have anyone I want, well almost anyone." Dawson looked at Jo and she smiled.

"Dawson…"

"Don't say anything Jo." He said. "Please don't." Dawson held in the tears, trying to do the right thing. "Just go, please."

Joey looked at Dawson trying to understand him. But he just smiled sadly at her. Hugging her lightly, he said goodbye to her and then pulled away. He motioned towards where Pacey was standing and then turned and left, walking out.

Joey turned and looked at Pacey. He had been standing there listening, not knowing quite what was going on or what he should do. But now that Joey stood in front of him, all he wanted to do was kiss her. She walked up to him, uncertain of what to say.

They stood in front of each other unsure of what to do. They were crying and smiling, not knowing what was right anymore. Finally Pacey took her into his arms and hugged her, knowing that finally everything felt right.

"You know what, Potter?" He said, smiling at her.

"What?"

"We do things in the strangest ways." She smiled, wholeheartedly for the first time in a long time.

"That's because you're a very strange person." She informed him, shrugging off everything they had been through with a smile.

"Does that mean you don't love me?" Pacey pouted. They didn't even notice the people who were standing around them, also in shock of what had gone on.

"I never said that."

"Good. Because I love you."

"I love you too Pace." And then he leaned closer and kissed her.

They kissed not noticing anyone else around them. Not noticing the guests who had been watching in amazement and were now cheering at the display. Jo ran up to her Dad and put her arms around him, causing him to pull away from Joey.

He picked her up and she hugged him and then leaned over and hugged Joey. Joey smiled at the girl; happy that Pacey's daughter had accepted her.

What Pacey and Joey didn't notice was Jo looking off in the distance. Looking at her mother who was smiling at her. Andie put her thumb up at Jo. She smiled and discreetly waved at her mother, knowing now that her mom would be able to rest and her Dad would be happy again.

-&\- -&\- -&-

Epilogue

Joey arrived at the Boston airport early in the morning. She sighed, waiting for her bags. It felt weird being back in Boston. A place she hadn't even visited since she left over ten years ago. Getting her bags, she headed outside to where Pacey should have been waiting for her.

It had been two months since her near-wedding with Dawson. Since then she and Dawson had made peace, she apologized for not being honest and he accepted. There wasn't much else he could do. He couldn't deny the fact that she loved Pacey. They decided to try and remain friends, although she didn't know how easy that would be.

After the day of the wedding Doug had taken Jo home with him and Pacey had stayed with Joey in Chicago for a week. They talked, they kissed, they made love, they did all the things they had been missing out on all these years.

Their love was too strong to deny and Joey knew that she couldn't let Pacey go again. Realizing that moving to Chicago wouldn't be a very easy option for Pacey as his work was too hard to move, Joey had agreed to move to Boston. Pacey had disputed knowing that he couldn't ask her to do that, but she had insisted it was okay.

It had taken two months of sorting out. She had taken a job as an artist for a gallery in Boston, a step down from owning her own gallery but it was a start. She would still own the gallery in Chicago but hired someone to manage it for her. She was looking into buying a place for her own gallery in Boston so she could own one there too.

She had kept in contact with Pacey and Jo, talking to them nearly every day. Now she had finally come back to a place she left so long ago. She was visiting for the weekend, the last chance for her to back out if she wanted. But she didn't. She had wanted this for so long, she was wasn't about to give it away. She had loved Pacey too long.

As soon as she came into view of the various people waiting for relatives or friends, a little girl ran and jumped into her arms.

"Aunt Joey!" Jo shrieked, not letting go of her.

"Jo! How are you?" Joey asked, smiling at Pacey who was walking towards them, and letting go of Jo.

"I'm great. Better now that you're here!" Jo said, obviously happy. "We've been waiting ages and ages for you. Daddy says you always take long to come. You make him…su….?" She searched for the word, trying to remember what her Dad had said.

"Suffer," Pacey filled in, as he reached the girls. He kissed Joey on the cheek, smiling brightly at her. "How was your flight?" he asked, taking her bags as they headed to his car.

"I love flying!" Jo butted in happily.

"So do I," Joey said. "But I was suffering too. I couldn't wait to see you," she said to Jo but looked at Pacey. He just grinned back.

"I missed you Aunty Joey. You're going to stay with us forever now aren't you?" Jo asked suddenly. Joey looked at Pacey, unsure of what to say.

"I'm not going to leave you again." She looked at Pacey as she said it and Jo grinned, watching her Dad's face light up.

-&-

"Can I come in?" Pacey poked his head inside the room Joey was staying in. She was standing by the mirror, struggling to pull her zipper us.

"Sure." He walked in further and stood behind her. He stilled her busy hands and pulled up the zipper for her. He smiled, resting his chin on her shoulder and looking at her reflection. Pacey had made reservations for the two of them to go to dinner. Jo had happily gone to stay with Doug for the night.

She was wearing a long red dress, which looked like a second skin on her. It hugged her in all of the right places and had a slit up one leg. Her hair was swept up in a clip with a few ringlets surrounding her face. She wore very little makeup, just enough to let her natural beauty stand out. Pacey thought she was simply breathtaking.

"God, you're so beautiful." Joey tensed at the compliment, but smiled shyly.

"Don't tell me you still don't believe me." Pacey grinned.

"You never used to tell me I was beautiful," Joey disputed, turning to face him.

"Only because you would kick my ass. I thought it all the time," Pacey admitted. Joey just smiled at him. "You were always beautiful."

"You're such a charmer."

"I guess that's one thing that hasn't changed." Pacey smiled cockily, at Joey's look he added. "You know you wanted me."

"What can I say, I was crazy." She grinned, walking towards the door.

"There's no disputing that." He grinned, catching up with her. He kissed her softly before putting his arm around her and leading her out the door.

-&-

"Do you think this is totally weird?" Joey asked suddenly. They were sitting in a dimly lit French restaurant in the far corner.

"Tastes okay to me." Pacey smiled, knowing she wasn't talking about the food. Especially when she kicked him lightly under the table. "What?"

"I wasn't talking about the food, Pacey."

"I know. What's weird?"

"I don't know. Us. Everything." Joey took a leaned closer to Pacey as she noticed his slightly upset look. "I love you Pacey. I just think it's all a bit sudden."

"We never were the types to find ourselves in typical circumstances." Pacey smiled. "Were we?"

"No I guess not."

"You don't have to move here Jo. Not if you don't want to," Pacey said sincerely.

"I do. Of course I want to," Joey assured him. "I just…Are you sure Jo doesn't mind?" Pacey looked confused.

"Joey loves you," Pacey assured her.

"But…"

"No buts. My daughter is crazy about you."

"But I'm not her mother," Joey finally said, sharing with him the thing that had been eating her up.

"You may not be her mother, Joey, but you're as close to one as she's ever had." Pacey took Joey's hand. "Jo loves Andie. She's always loved her and always will. But she never knew Andie, not really. And as sad as it is, she never will. I see the way she looks at you. She lights up when you're there. She needs a mother Joey. And I think she and I would both like it very much if that was you."

Joey had tears in her eyes. She didn't know where they had come from but she couldn't stop them. Pacey's words washed over her, making all her fears slip away.

"The only problem we're going to have when it comes to Joey is the utter confusion I'm going to have over the name calling." Pacey smiled, trying to make Joey laughed. She wiped her tears, laughing lightly.

"You're just going to have to come up with a special name for me, aren't you?" Joey teased.

"Hmm. How about honey?" Pacey moved close to her but Joey nodded a no. "Babe?" Again no. "Annoying spoilt brat?"

"Hey, you!" Joey pulled on his tie, pretending to be mad, but instead pulled him into a kiss.

-&-

"Joey, what are you doing?" Joey smiled at the little girl, who was walking into the room Joey and Pacey now shared, carrying a box of Joey's belongings.

"I wanted to help," Jo said.

"You're going to hurt yourself," Joey admonished. She took the box from the little girl, but then smiled realizing that the box only contained soft toys.

Jo had jumped onto the double bed, holding onto one of her own toys. Pacey walked into the room, carrying the heavier boxes. He set one down next to Joey and groaned.

"Joey what have you got in these boxes? I think it was a mistake asking you to move in with me." Pacey put his arm around Joey.

"No it wasn't!" Jo quickly stood up; not realizing her Dad was joking. Joey just laughed.

"Don't worry Jo, he can't get rid of me. We're in charge of the house now remember?" She held her arms out for Jo, making Pacey let go of her, and Jo quickly jumped into a hug. Pacey playfully stuck his tongue out and both Joeys did it back to him at the same time.

"God, what have I gotten myself into." Jo giggled, running up to her Dad.

"Don't worry Dad, we'll go easy on you."

"So, now that this is your first official night at our house, what do you want to do?" Pacey asked Joey.

"Unpack." Joey gestured around her.

"Boring!" Jo declared loudly.

"It may be boring sweetie, but it's got to be done."

"Not tonight. I'm taking you out tonight," Jo declared, as if she would be the one taking them out.

"Yeah?" Joey raised her eyebrows at Pacey but he just shrugged.

"Yeah, unpacking tomorrow. Tonight we're going to have fun!" Pacey agreed. Grabbing Joey and swinging her around, while tickling her stomach. Joey screeched and Jo just giggled.

"Dad stop tickling Aunt Joey!" Jo ordered. Pacey stopped and then looked at Jo's scrunched up facial expression.

"You know what?" She said, as if she had made a huge discovery. "It's weird to call you Aunt Joey because my name is Joey," she told Joey as she instructed her to sit on the bed. Joey sat and Jo got onto her lap. Pacey just stood back and watched.

"It is," Joey agreed. "What are we going to do about it?"

"Can I call you something else?" Jo asked.

"Sure honey, what do you want to call me?" Joey asked. Jo moved to Joey's ear to whisper the name.

"Mommy." She said it in a child's whisper, which meant it was loud enough for Pacey to hear. Joey was stunned by what Jo had said, not expecting it at all. "I know you're not my mother because my real mommy's gone," Jo explained, thinking Joey's silence meant she didn't understand. "But you're like my mommy. And I love you like my mommy." A tear went down Joey's face as she looked at the little girl. "Please?" Jo said, wiping the tear.

"Of course. Of course you can call me that, baby." She hugged Jo tight. Jo grinned, pulling away.

"Yay!" She ran up to her Dad. "Dad she said yes," she informed him as if he hadn't heard the whole thing. Jo laughed again and then ran out of the room to tell Doug who was in the other room.

Joey stood up, wiping her tears. She looked at Pacey who just smiled back at her. He walked up to her and took her in his arms.

"I told you she loves you," Pacey said, kissing her forehead. "Did I tell you I love you?"

"Love you too," she said, looking into his eyes. She kissed her softly and then more passionately. "Can we have some more kids?" Joey said jokily as she thought of how much she had grown to love Jo.

"Sure. As long as we raise them together. You don't wanna know how hard it is being a single parent."

"No I don't." Joey grinned, kissing him again.

Pacey pulled away and went to lock the door. He came back and looked at her, and then looked at the bed.

"How about we start on making the first kid right now?" Pacey grabbed Joey and pulled her onto the bed as she laughed, letting the happiness she felt just wash over her.

**THE END!**


End file.
